jot
Americanverb (used with object)
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jots,
present (3rd person singular)
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jotted,
past participle, past
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jotting
present participle
noun
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jots
plural
idioms
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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jotsimple
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jotssimple
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have jottedperfect
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has jottedperfect
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am jottingprogressive
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are jottingprogressive
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is jottingprogressive
-
have been jottingperfect progressive
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has been jottingperfect progressive
Past
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jottedsimple
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had jottedperfect
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was jottingprogressive
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were jottingprogressive
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had been jottingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of jot
1520–30; earlier iot, iote < Latin iōta < Greek iôta iota
Explanation
When you jot something, you write it quickly. You might jot down a friend's email address on the back of your grocery list. It's most common to use the verb jot with down: "Hang on, let me jot down the appointment time." It's a good word to use when you're writing a brief note, a phone number, or a list — especially when you're doing it in a hurry. The earliest meaning of jot is "a tiny bit," which comes from the Latin word jota, an alternate spelling of the Greek iota, the smallest letter in the alphabet or the smallest amount of something.
Vocabulary lists containing jot
The Circuit
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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The Lions of Little Rock
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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:
I’m looking for A.I. to help me jot down and store my thoughts in the right place when I’m not in a position to easily do that.
From Slate ● May 24, 2026
And I just jot it down, and sometimes it’s clearly funny as it is.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
Bring a paper copy of your passport with you, know where the embassy is located in the country you’re traveling to and jot down the country’s emergency phone number.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 9, 2026
I like to keep a small notebook in the kitchen for this sort of thing, a place to jot down ideas while the kettle boils or something softens on the stove.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026
If I were the one taking notes, I’d jot them all down messily.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
When Siri questions Killian, she jots down another observation: “hiding something.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
Over the weeks, Margaret jots down in her diary what she sees.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2023
She pairs strong and struggling students, reads questions aloud and jots down dictated answers for students to rewrite in their own handwriting.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
Leno weighs them, takes their temperature and jots details of each visit by hand in a record book with a tattered yellow cover.
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2023
His mouth made a thin line, but he nodded and handed me back two jots.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
I chose a company whose name I had jotted down in my notes app a year ago after someone recommended it at a party.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Mangione, wearing gray suits, jotted information on a notepad and occasionally whispered with his attorneys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
Scott Sperry jotted his name down on a sign-up sheet.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2025
They jotted down their hopes and worries about AI on cards displayed in the museum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025
About a third of the line was still empty, so I made another column and jotted down a few details: skateboard, van, 7-Eleven.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
As he got older, he started jotting down financial terms he didn’t understand to later look them up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
Try jotting down three fractions separated by multiplication signs: earnings/sales x sales/assets x assets/equity.
From Barron's ● Dec. 26, 2025
Williams recommends jotting down the fears about money that are holding you back.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2024
Gascón would often spend her time away from set writing and rewriting dialogue and jotting down ideas she would text the director late into the night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2024
She looked back to see her mom jotting something on a notepad.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.
