a container of earthenware, metal, etc., usually round and deep and having a handle or handles and often a lid, used for cooking, serving, and other purposes.
such a container with its contents.
a pot of stew.
the amount contained in or held by a pot; potful.
a flowerpot.
a container of liquor or other drink.
a pot of ale.
liquor or other drink.
a cagelike vessel for trapping fish, lobsters, eels, etc., typically made of wood, wicker, or wire.
a chamber pot.
Metallurgy.
a vessel for melting metal; melting pot.
an electrolytic cell for reducing certain metals, as aluminum, from fused salts.
British.
a chimney pot.
Dialect. a basket or box used for carrying provisions or the like; a pannier.
Slang. a large sum of money.
all the money bet at a single time; pool.
British Slang. (in horse racing) the favorite.
a potshot.
a liquid measure, usually equal to a pint or quart.
Armor.
an open, broad-brimmed helmet of the 17th century.
any open helmet.
Slang. a potbelly.
to put into a pot.
to preserve (food) in a pot.
to cook in a pot.
to transplant into a pot.
We must pot the petunias.
Hunting.
to shoot (game birds) on the ground or water, or (game animals) at rest, instead of in flight or running.
He can't even pot a sitting duck.
to shoot for food, not for sport.
Informal. to capture, secure, or win.
sweeten the pot, sweeten.
stir the pot, to promote instability or conflict, as by taunting, encouraging, or otherwise provoking the participants in an ongoing disagreement.
Trolls on Twitter just want to stir the pot.
go to pot, to become ruined; deteriorate.
With no one to care for it, the lovely old garden went to pot.
potential.
potentiometer.
a container made of earthenware, glass, or similar material; usually round and deep, often having a handle and lid, used for cooking and other domestic purposes
the amount that a pot will hold; potful
a chamber pot, esp a small one designed for a baby or toddler
a handmade piece of pottery
a large mug or tankard, as for beer
any of various measures used for serving beer
informal a cup or trophy, esp of silver, awarded as a prize in a competition
the money or stakes in the pool in gambling games, esp poker
informal (often plural) a large amount, esp of money
a wicker trap for catching fish, esp crustaceans
a lobster pot
billiards snooker a shot by which a ball is pocketed
short for chimneypot
informal a joint fund created by a group of individuals or enterprises and drawn upon by them for specified purposes
hunting See pot shot
See potbelly
to go to ruin; deteriorate
to set (a plant) in a flowerpot to grow
to put or preserve (goods, meat, etc) in a pot
to cook (food) in a pot
to shoot (game) for food rather than for sport
to shoot (game birds or animals) while they are on the ground or immobile rather than flying or running
(also intr) to shoot casually or without careful aim at (an animal, etc)
to sit (a baby or toddler) on a chamber pot
(also intr) to shape clay as a potter
billiards snooker to pocket (a ball)
informal to capture or win; secure
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English pott; cognate with Dutch, Low German pot, Old Icelandic pottr, Swedish pott, potta, Danish pot, potte; further origin uncertain
An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; said to be a shortening of Mexican Spanish potiguaya or potaguaya, apparently contraction of potación de guaya wine or brandy in which marijuana buds have been steeped (literally, “drink of grief” )
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English potte, perhaps identical with pot 1
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Within the exhibition halls, a bedroom, living room and kitchen -- complete with a glass jug, coffee pot, and spice containers -- recreate details of daily life in the homes of southern Lebanese residents.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
They had "a little pot of money" but "I never knew what to do with it, I didn't have the confidence and I wouldn't even know where to start," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
All the money you contribute stays in the pot, if you don’t use it up.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
By mid-June, the entire plant, including the spadix and pot, towered over 6 feet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
A square pot fitted on top of the cooker and held five gallons.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
And “it’s kind of nice to just make a pot. It’s a little bit more like I have control over this.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2023
“There is this myth of assimilation, the myth of the melting pot. I say it is a myth because that has never happened,” he continued.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2022
"All the money we make from the band from gigging, from touring or whatever we're doing, goes back into the pot. At the moment, that pot is remaining the same size thankfully," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2022
“Even more than winning a huge pot. The real satisfying part is when you nail one like that.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2022
Lina took the seed and the pot. she said.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
An arborist tends to it every two weeks and the spa replaces 300 to 400 pots every three months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Cubans in several locations on the island banged pots on Tuesday evening to express their anger about the latest nationwide power cut.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Thanawat Gaweenuntavong, the youngest uncle at 59, started his restaurant in 1985 with pots of the original stock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
"They stole everything: our clothes, shoes, utensils, pots, cups, glasses."
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
“And maybe some pots again too. The weather’s getting cooler, so it’ll be easier. You kids can help me after school.”
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
One such element she shared in her posts is a large brown boucle and wood chair that sits atop a beige rug, alongside a large potted plant.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
For readers enjoying their potted orchids at home, Mr. Haskell has a sobering message.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
And it also shined a spotlight on Gabbard’s effectiveness in her position, since she basically serves the function of a potted plant.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2026
On vegetation, the state is considering options for Zone Zero ranging from banning virtually all vegetation beyond small potted plants to just maintaining the regulations already on the books, which allow nearly all healthy vegetation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
The light-filled mall, where Tegucigalpa’s well-heeled citizens shop, has beige marble floors, potted indoor palms, air-conditioning, and glass elevators.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
She created Petersham Nurseries Café, with a dirt floor, wobbly old chairs, secondhand cooking gear installed in a former potting shed, and a simple menu based on whatever was growing in the adjacent garden.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
“I would trade potting soil to a man who owned a vegan restaurant in exchange for food. You always get what you need here.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2025
Zhao Xintong produced a scintillating display of potting to open up a 12-4 lead against seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in their World Championship semi-final.
From BBC ● May 2, 2025
And it’s true that Anne, currently addicted to playing some farm game on her iPad and not using the potting shed, complete with kiln, that Nick built her, has let joy leak from her life.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025
I’m suddenly aware how odd it is to be running with a load of potting soil in a wheelchair.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
