a lot Hear it!

Variant of lot

lot Definition

lot (lät)

noun

  1. an object used in deciding a matter by chance, a number of these being placed in a container and then drawn or cast out at random one by one
  2. the use of such an object or objects in determining a matter to choose men by lot
  3. the decision or choice arrived at by this means, regarded as the verdict of chance
  4. what a person receives as the result of such a decision; share
  5. one's portion in life; fortune her unhappy lot
  6. a plot of ground; specif.,
    1. ☆ a subdivision of a block in a town or city
    2. ☆ a parcel of land in a cemetery
    1. a number of persons or things regarded as a group
    2. a quantity of material processed or manufactured at the same time
  8. Informal a great number or amount a lot of cars, lots of money
  9. Informal sort (of person or persons) he's a bad lot
  10. ☆ Film a studio with the surrounding area belonging to it; specif., the area used for outdoor filming

Etymology: ME < OE hlot, akin to Ger los, Du lot, ON hlutr, Goth hlauts < IE base *klēu-, a hook, forked branch > close, L clavis, key

transitive verb lotted lot′·ted, lotting lot′·ting

  1. to divide into lots
  2. Rare to allot

intransitive verb

to draw or cast lots
lot Idioms

a (whole) lot

a great deal; very much: considered somewhat informal by some a lot happier, a whole lot nicer

cast in one's lot with

or throw in one's lot with
to take one's chances in association with; share the fortune of

draw lots

or cast lots
to decide an issue by using lots

the lot

Informal the whole of a quantity or number

Variant of Lot¹

Lot¹ Definition

Lot (lät)

noun

Bible Abraham's nephew, who, warned by two angels, fled from the doomed city of Sodom: his wife looked back to see the destruction and was turned into a pillar of salt: Gen. 19:1-26

Etymology: Heb Lōṭ

Variant of Lot²

Lot² Definition

Lot (lō̂t)

river in S France, flowing west into the Garonne: c. 300 mi (483 km)
a lot Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • learn: We can also learn a lot from these sites.
  • do: Or he could do a lot of damage beating someone over the head with a nearby small child.
  • have: You will have a lot of support on the day to help carry you round.
  • put: I will make an effort to put a lot of new material on the collaborative website to support it.

Browse dictionary entries near a lot

  1. ‹ A-list
  2. ‹ A-line
  3. ‹ A level
  4. ‹ A-law
  5. ‹ a la mode
  6. ‹ à la king
  7. ‹ à la grecque
  8. ‹ à la française
  9. ‹ a la carte
  10. ‹ à la
  1. A.M. ›
  2. a mensa et thoro ›
  3. A number 1 ›
  4. A/o ›
  5. A-OK ›
  6. A-Okay ›
  7. A one ›
  8. à outrance ›
  9. à pied ›
  10. a posteriori ›