scot
noun
a payment or charge.
scot
1 American
[skot]
/ skɒt /
noun
History/Historical.
-
a payment or charge.
-
one's share of a payment or charge.
-
an assessment or tax.
Scot
2
American
[skot]
/ skɒt /
noun
Scots
plural
-
a native or inhabitant of Scotland.
-
one of an ancient Gaelic people who came from northern Ireland about the 6th century a.d. and settled in the northwestern part of Great Britain, and after whom Scotland was named.
Scot.
4
American
abbreviation
-
Scotch.
-
Scotland.
-
Scottish.
Scot.
1
British
abbreviation
-
Scotch (whisky)
-
Scotland
-
Scottish
Scot
2
British
/ skɒt /
noun
-
a native or inhabitant of Scotland
-
a member of a tribe of Celtic raiders from the north of Ireland who carried out periodic attacks against the British mainland coast from the 3rd century ad , eventually settling in N Britain during the 5th and 6th centuries
scot
Idioms
Commonly Confused
See Scotch.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of scot1
1200–50; Middle English < Old Norse skattr tax, treasure; cognate with Old English gescot payment
Origin of Scot2
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English Scottas (plural), from Late Latin Scottī “the Irish”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"If everything is a scandal or an outrage, nothing is, which means that those who deserve to be held to account get off scot free"
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
ULA’s design means large losses may be heavily taxed while big gains go scot free.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2025
On this basis, prosecutors declined to try the case and the McMichaels appeared to go scot free.
From Slate ● May 19, 2020
So either the wrongdoers got off scot free, or the SEC shouldn’t have brought the case it did against the company.
From BusinessWeek ● Feb. 10, 2011
And the big yeller dog that had caused all the trouble got off scot free.
From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
Scot Turner’s broker, who’s long ignored his calls, buzzed him recently with a great opportunity—a previously closed private-equity fund.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The tool identified various combinations of factors such as pressure and temperature inside the drug’s manufacturing equipment that could be tweaked to shorten the process, said Scot Lindsey, senior vice president of manufacturing and quality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
The Scot then knocked in a wonderful break of 86 off the back of a brave long red to open up a two-frame advantage.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
Campbell started performing as a teenager to make friends; Robertson did so after the “lightbulb moment” of seeing fellow Scot David Tennant in “Doctor Who.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
The Scot, whey-faced and determined, reached down alongside the pilot’s seat and took hold of the undercarriage crank.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
"I'm married to a Bengali Scot. My son is going out with a Kurdish refugee."
From BBC ● May 31, 2016
Chardy converts with a superb point, pulling Murray all over the court before nailing a cross-court forehand past the Scot. 1-1 in the first, two breaks already.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 1, 2015
Cad is for Scot. caddie, errand boy, now familiar in connection with golf, and caddie is from Fr. cadet, younger.
From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest
Hist. of the Suf. of Ch. of Scot. vol. i. p.
From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Binning, Hugh
Peterkin's Rec. of Kirk of Scot. p. 672.29.P.
From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Binning, Hugh
Sherland promoted Burns' work by attending formal events, hosting school poetry competitions and speaking at Holyrood's Cross-Party Group on the Scots Language, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The brazen - arguably gallus - boy from Edinburgh has won the hearts of many Scots, and athletics fans generally, in recent years for his no-nonsense, bullish approach on and off the track.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The Scots drank every drop of beer in Boston.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Should Scots back their near neighbours, or support anyone but England?
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“And what do the Scots do when they’re over a barrel?” asked Mr. Matenopoulos.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
