plot

[ plot ]

noun

1. a secret plan or scheme to accomplish some purpose, especially a hostile, unlawful, or evil purpose:

   a plot to overthrow the government.

   Synonyms: cabal, intrigue

2. Also called storyline. the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story.
3. a small piece or area of ground:

   a garden plot;

   burial plot.

4. a measured piece or parcel of land:

   a house on a two-acre plot.

5. a plan, map, diagram, or other graphic representation, as of land, a building, etc.
6. a list, timetable, or scheme dealing with any of the various arrangements for the production of a play, motion picture, etc.:

   According to the property plot, there should be a lamp stage left.

7. a chart showing the course of a craft, as a ship or airplane.
8. Artillery. a point or points located on a map or chart:

   target plot.

verb (used with object)

, plot·ted, plot·ting.

1. to plan secretly, especially something hostile or evil:

   to plot mutiny.

   Synonyms: frame, hatch, brew

2. to mark on a plan, map, or chart, as the course of a ship or aircraft.
3. to draw a plan or map of, as a tract of land or a building.
4. to divide (land) into plots.
5. to determine and mark (points), as on plotting paper, by means of measurements or coordinates.
6. to draw (a curve) by means of points so marked.
7. to represent by means of such a curve.
8. to devise or construct the plot of (a play, novel, etc.).
9. to prepare a list, timetable, or scheme of (production arrangements), as for a play or motion picture:

   The stage manager hadn't plotted the set changes until one day before the dress rehearsal.

10. to make (a calculation) by graph.

verb (used without object)

, plot·ted, plot·ting.

1. to plan or scheme secretly; form a plot; conspire.
2. to devise or develop a literary or dramatic plot.
3. to be marked or located by means of measurements or coordinates, as on plotting paper.

plot

¹

/ plɒt /

noun

1. a small piece of land

   a vegetable plot

verb

1. tr to arrange or divide (land) into plots

plot

²

/ plɒt /

noun

1. a secret plan to achieve some purpose, esp one that is illegal or underhand

   a plot to overthrow the government

2. the story or plan of a play, novel, etc
3. military a graphic representation of an individual or tactical setting that pinpoints an artillery target
4. a diagram or plan, esp a surveyor's map
5. lose the plot informal.
   lose the plot to lose one's ability or judgment in a given situation

verb

1. to plan secretly (something illegal, revolutionary, etc); conspire
2. tr to mark (a course, as of a ship or aircraft) on a map
3. tr to make a plan or map of
4. 1. to locate and mark (one or more points) on a graph by means of coordinates
   2. to draw (a curve) through these points
5. tr to construct the plot of (a literary work)

plot

1. The organization of events in a work of fiction .

Other Words From

• plot·ful adjective
• plot·less adjective
• plot·less·ness noun
• out·plot verb (used with object) outplotted outplotting
• o·ver·plot verb overplotted overplotting
• pre·plot verb (used with object) preplotted preplotting
• re·plot verb (used with object) replotted replotting
• un·plot·ted adjective
• un·plot·ting adjective
• well-plot·ted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plot¹

First recorded before 1100; the noun has multiple origins: in the sense “piece of ground,” Middle English: “small area, patch, stain, piece of ground,” Old English: “piece of ground” (origin obscure); in the senses “ground plan, outline, map, scheme,” variant (since the 16th century) of plat ¹, itself partly a variant of Middle English, Old English plot; in the sense “secret plan” (from the 16th century), by association with complot; the verb is derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of plot¹

Old English: piece of land, plan of an area

Origin of plot²

C16: from plot ², influenced in use by complot

Synonym Study

See conspiracy. Plot, conspire, scheme imply secret, cunning, and often unscrupulous planning to gain one's own ends. To plot is to contrive a secret plan of a selfish and often treasonable kind: to plot against someone's life. To conspire is to unite with others in an illicit or illegal machination: to conspire to seize a government. To scheme is to plan ingeniously, subtly, and often craftily for one's own advantage: to scheme how to gain power.

Example Sentences

What followed, prosecutors said, was a criminal plot by his underlings to cyberstalk the couple.

From Fortune

Counseling, rehab, a lot of medication, trial and error, quitting drinking, and support from family and friends have essentially kept me here and with the plot.

From Ozy

Over subsequent days, the hacker met with the employee multiple times to hash out the plot, unaware that the FBI was listening in.

From Fortune

After rejecting all possible sources of error they could think of, the researchers came up with three explanations that would fit the size and shape of the bump in their data plots.

From Quanta Magazine

And, if you’ve forgotten, here’s the plot summary, as told by Anya Dubner.

From Freakonomics

When communism was a threat, it was construed as a communist plot.

From The Daily Beast

But his account of a dissident plot involving Gambian expats using U.S. weapons is similar to what Faal told the FBI.

From The Daily Beast

Another member of the plot took care of the ammo along with black uniforms, night-vision equipment, and body armor.

From The Daily Beast

They were able to purchase weapons and plot attacks on the island without much interference.

From The Daily Beast

The plot was a string of anecdotes from the senseless shootings of friends that Brinsley knew.

From The Daily Beast

It was thanks to the discovery of this plot that the Marshal first got information of his enemies' projected advance.

From Project Gutenberg

But Magellan learned of their wicked plot in time to defeat them, and he punished them as they deserved.

From Project Gutenberg

While he grieved over the loss of our little one, you conceived a vile plot to 'get even,' Oh, you—liar!

From Project Gutenberg

It was assuming a great deal to tell a woman that he saw through her plot to disenchant him with a rival.

From Project Gutenberg

The friends so overacted their part, that Jane immediately saw through the plot.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• action
• design
• movement
• narrative
• scenario
• scene
• scheme
• story
• structure
• theme