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• lot
  lot

  noun

  one of a set of objects, such as straws or pebbles, drawn or thrown from a container to decide a question or choice by chance.
• Lot
  Lot

  noun

  (in the Bible) the nephew of Abraham, whose wife was changed into a pillar of salt for looking back during their flight from Sodom.
• lot.
  lot.

  abbreviation

  (in prescriptions) a lotion.

lot

¹ American  

[lot] / lɒt /

noun

• lots
  plural

1. one of a set of objects, such as straws or pebbles, drawn or thrown from a container to decide a question or choice by chance.

2. the casting or drawing of such objects as a method of deciding something.

   They would have to choose a winner by lot.

3. the decision or choice made by drawing or throwing a set of objects such as straws or pebbles.

4. allotted share or portion.

   With her lot of the inheritance, she built a business.

   Synonyms:

   quota, part

5. the portion in life assigned by fate or Providence; one's fate, fortune, or destiny.

   Her lot had not been a happy one.

6. a distinct portion or piece of land.

   a building lot.

7. a piece of land forming a part of a district, city, or other community.

   Synonyms:

   parcel, plot

8. South Midland and Southern U.S. a farmyard or barnyard.

9. a piece of land having the use specified by the attributive noun or adjective.

   a parking lot; a used-car lot.

10. Movies. a motion-picture studio and its surrounding property.

11. a distinct portion or parcel of anything, as of merchandise.

    The furniture was to be auctioned off in 20 lots.

12. a number of things or persons collectively.

    There's one more, and that's the lot.

    Synonyms:

    gang, crowd, group

13. kind of person; sort.

    He's a bad lot.

14. Often lots a great many or a great deal.

    a lot of books;

    lots of money.

15. Chiefly British. a tax or duty.

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verb (used with object)

lotted, lotting

1. to divide or distribute by lot (sometimes followed byout ).

   to lot furniture for sale; to lot out apples by the basketful.

2. to assign to a person as their lot; allot.

3. to divide into lots, as land.

4. Obsolete. to cast or draw lots for.

verb (used without object)

lotted, lotting

1. to draw lots.

adverb

1. Often lots a great deal; greatly.

   Thanks a lot for the ride.

   I care lots about my family.

idioms

1. cast (in) one's lot with, to ally oneself with; share the life and fortunes of.

   She had cast her lot with the bohemian crowd.

2. draw / cast lots, to settle a question by the use of lots.

   They drew lots to see who would go first.

Lot ² American  

[lot] / lɒt /

noun

1. (in the Bible) the nephew of Abraham, whose wife was changed into a pillar of salt for looking back during their flight from Sodom.

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Lot ³ American  

[lawt] / lɔt /

noun

1. a river in S France, flowing W to the Garonne. 300 miles (480 km) long.

2. a department in S France. 2,018 sq. mi. (5,225 sq. km). Cahors.

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lot. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) a lotion.

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lot ¹ British  

/ lɒt /

pronoun

1. a great number or quantity

   a lot to do

   a lot of people

   a lot of trouble

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noun

1. a collection of objects, items, or people

   a nice lot of youngsters

2. portion in life; destiny; fortune

   it falls to my lot to be poor

3. any object, such as a straw or slip of paper, drawn from others at random to make a selection or choice (esp in the phrase draw or cast lots )

4. the use of lots in making a selection or choice (esp in the phrase by lot )

5. an assigned or apportioned share

6. an item or set of items for sale in an auction

7. an area of land

   a parking lot

8. a piece of land with fixed boundaries

9. a film studio and the site on which it is located

10. an unpleasant or disreputable person

11. to join with voluntarily and share the fortunes of

12. the entire amount or number

adverb

1. to a considerable extent, degree, or amount; very much

   to delay a lot

2. a great deal of the time or often

   to sing madrigals a lot

verb

1. to draw lots for (something)

2. (tr) to divide (land, etc) into lots

3. (tr) another word for allot

Lot ² British  

/ lɒt /

noun

1. a department of S central France, in Midi-Pyrénées region. Capital: Cahors. Pop: 164 413 (2003 est). Area: 5226 sq km (2038 sq miles)

2. a river in S France, rising in the Cévennes and flowing west into the Garonne River. Length: about 483 km (300 miles)

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Lot ³ British  

/ lɒt /

noun

1. Old Testament Abraham's nephew: he escaped the destruction of Sodom, but his wife was changed into a pillar of salt for looking back as they fled (Genesis 19)

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lot More Idioms  

1. see a lot; carry (a lot of) weight; cast one's lot with; fat chance (lot); have (a lot) going for one; have a lot on one's plate; leave a lot to be desired; quite a bit (lot); think a lot of.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lotter
  noun
• sublot
  noun
• interlot
  verb (used with object)
• unlotted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lot¹

First recorded before 950; 1805–15 lot for def. 14; Middle English; Old English hlot “portion, choice, decision”; cognate with Dutch lot, Old Norse hlutr; akin to Old English hlīet, German Los, Old Norse hlaut, Gothic hlauts “lot”

Origin of lot.⁴

From the Latin word lōtiō

Explanation

A lot is a plot of land. When you buy a house, you also buy the lot on which it sits. If there's an empty lot in your neighborhood, it means there's a space covered with grass or pavement that's large enough for a house or building to fit there. Another kind of lot is a set or group of items. At an auction or estate sale, you might find a lot of antique silver spoons for sale, or a lot of comic books — in either case, the lot is a collection.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lot Lot lot. lots lotted lotting

Dame Uta is worried that autistic people who need a lot of support are not getting the help they need.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

"We think that this is a thinly traded area of the market, that we're in August, and there's been a lot of corporate issuance that's influenced the market," Bessent said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

“There is certainly a lot of pride involved—the idea that an American company ought to lead the American market,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“I was subbed out and they applauded me; they were cheering me on a lot, and honestly, I’m really grateful for that,” Lozano said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

The lot extended a long way back, and people, in pairs and small groups, clustered and milled about everywhere.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Mehrabian recalled seeing acts like Tale Of Us and Solomun at Lot 613 in their early days.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The most expensive part of the collection was Lot 15 – a set of fine Danish vintage cutlery, which sold for £5,200.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Appeared in the May 19, 2026, print edition as 'Obscure Fund Has a Lot Riding On SpaceX'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

L.A. literature: In a durably famous metaphor for Southern California, “The Crying of Lot 49’s” heroine, Oedipa, compares the sight of a distant sprawling suburb to a transistor radio’s printed circuit board.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

Then, when the position was prepared, the six kings of the advance guard were to retire through it, leaving Lot in the front line while they reformed.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Asked if Garrett yelled at him, he said, “A lot. I love that type of coaching. I knew he wanted the best for me.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

“I cry a lot. I’m super sentimental and I’ve hated myself a lot for that,” Karol G revealed to Elle in her July cover story.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

"Physically, it was a lot. I was a little tired, but I kept pushing through it."

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

“Assuming they’re forever stamps, buy a lot. You can always use them later, not for wedding-related things,” another commenter added.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

“Though they aren’t exactly home a lot. Erin’s been my friend for years and I’ve only seen them a handful of times. She’s not really close with them.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

“You have lots of plans and lots of ideas but have done very little,” Bass told Raman at another point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

I unpack how this all comes down to one factor: Money, and lots of it.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Faivre said the secret to recipes for family favorites is often lots of fat, salt and sugar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Thousands of cases food poisoning happen each year in the UK caused by lots of different strains of salmonella.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

“And there are lots of ways to do that.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

From the switch the ball is lotted through to Gomez, who again has a poor final touch and the ball reaches James.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 12, 2012

Bridges will be al lotted $700 million for repairs, while the remaining $600 million will be devoted to highway safety programs and miscellaneous road projects.

From Time Magazine Archive

They was lotted of a certain tract and if it stay clear a certain time to get it all done.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Arkansas Narratives, Part 7 by Work Projects Administration

Fust she thought she was a bud, like lots o’ buds all ’round her, and she lotted on openin’ like they did.

From Story-Tell Lib by Annie Trumbull Slosson

And the garment or coat without a seam of our Saviour was lotted for by the Jews.

From Thaumaturgia by An Oxonian

We’ll do our best for you—but I ain’t lotting much on Latisan’s showing up again.

From Joan of Arc of the North Woods by Holman Day

He has been lotting upon seeing you, maam.

From Cora and The Doctor or Revelations of A Physician's Wife by Madeline Leslie

Related Words

• abundance
• bunch
• collection
• crowd
• group
• load
• much
• number
• plenty
• set