lot

noun (1)

Save Word

\ ˈlät

plural lots

Definition of lot

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : an object used as a counter in determining a question by chance — see also throw in one's lot with

2a : the use of lots as a means of deciding something One was chosen by lot to represent the group.

b : the resulting choice

3a : something that comes to one upon whom a lot has fallen : share The will provided for equal lots for all the children.

b : one's way of life or worldly fate : fortune the lot of man, to suffer and to die— Alexander Pope

4a : a portion of land

b : a measured parcel of land having fixed boundaries and designated on a plot or survey built his home on a half-acre lot

c : a motion-picture studio and its adjoining property

d : an establishment for the storage or sale of motor vehicles a used car lot

5a : a number of units of an article, a single article, or a parcel of articles offered as one item (as in an auction sale) Lot 45 is a dining room set.

b : all the members of a present group, kind, or quantity —usually used with the sampled the whole lot of desserts

6a : a number of associated persons : set fell in with a rough lot

b : kind, sort The recruits were a sorry lot.

7 : a considerable quantity or extent a lot of money lots of friends

all over the lot

: covering a wide or varied range received bids all over the lot

a lot

1 : to a considerable degree or extent this is a lot nicer

2 : often, frequently runs a lot every day

3 : lots

lot

verb

lotted; lotting

Definition of lot (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : allot, apportion

2 : to form or divide into lots

Lot

noun (2)

\ ˈlät

Definition of Lot (Entry 3 of 4)

: a nephew of Abraham who according to the account in Genesis escaped from the doomed city of Sodom with his wife who turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back

Lot

geographical name

\ ˈlät

, ˈlȯt \

Definition of Lot (Entry 4 of 4)

river 300 miles (483 kilometers) long in southern France flowing west into the Garonne River

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About lot

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for lot

Synonyms: Noun (1)

Synonyms: Verb

Choose the Right Synonym for lot

Noun (1)

fate, destiny, lot, portion, doom mean a predetermined state or end. fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome. the fate of the submarine is unknown destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end. the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance it was her lot to die childless , portion implying the apportioning of good and evil. remorse was his daily portion doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate. if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

Examples of lot in a Sentence

Noun (1) He bought the vacant lot across the street. They own the house on the corner lot. We took a tour of the Universal lot. The organization has done much to improve the lot of underprivileged youth. Unhappy with her lot in life, she moved to the city to start over. Verb everyone is lotted opportunities in life, and it's their responsibility to take them

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun There are a lot of changes to the upcoming season 41 of Survivor — titled, appropriately, Survivor 41. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2021 There's a lot of similarity between him and Woody with their fastballs. — Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2021 There are not a lot of 500-mile races that are a thriller anymore. — Kelly Crandall, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2021 But those six, seven plays are a lot of enthusiasm. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Sep. 2021 There’s 400-500 objects in this exhibition, which is a lot. — Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2021 And through the years, in this business, there are a lot of fake people. — Steve Baltin, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2021 There aren’t a lot of good options for Reinante and her family. — BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2021 There are a lot of weird world records: The heaviest weight lifted by a beard. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, 4 Sep. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for lot

Noun (1)

Middle English lot, lott "object used to decide a matter by chance, decision by the use of such objects, what one receives through such a decision, destiny, share," going back to Old English hlot, going back to Germanic *hluta- (whence also Old Frisian hlot, lot "lot," Old High German hluz, Old Norse hlutr), noun derivative from a verb *hleutan- "to cast lots" (whence Old English hlēotan "to cast lots, obtain, gain as one's lot," Old Saxon hliotan "to obtain," Old High German liozan "to cast lots," Old Norse hjlóta "to get by lot, obtain, undergo"), of uncertain origin

Note: An o-grade ablaut derivative is evident in Old English hlȳt, hlīet "lot, share," Old Saxon hlōt, Old High German hlōz, Old Norse hlautr (conflated with a different word meaning "blood sacrifice"), Gothic hlauts. The Germanic verb has been compared with Lithuanian kliū́ti "to get caught on, bump into, hinder," kliudýti "to bump into, meet, hinder," Old Church Slavic ključiti sę "to happen, come to pass," but the proposed semantic connection is tenuous.

Verb

Middle English lotten, derivative of lot lot entry 1

Noun (2)

Hebrew Lōṭ

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More About lot

Dictionary Entries Near lot

Lot

lot

lota

Statistics for lot

Last Updated

10 Sep 2021

Cite this Entry

“Lot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lot. Accessed 20 Sep. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for lot

lot

noun

\ ˈlät

Kids Definition of lot

1 : an object used in deciding something by chance or the use of such an object to decide something

2 : fate sense 2 It was their lot to be poor.

3 : a piece or plot of land a vacant lot

4 : a large number or amount lots of books a lot of help

lot

noun

Legal Definition of lot

1 : a portion of land specifically : a measured parcel of contiguous land having fixed boundaries and recorded (as on a plat) with the appropriate authority or office (as a registry of deeds)

2 : a single article, a number of units of an article, or a parcel of articles offered as one item (as in an auction sale) specifically : a parcel or single article under the Uniform Commercial Code which is the subject matter of a separate sale, lease, or delivery whether or not it is sufficient to perform the contract — see also odd lot, round lot