lot

See also Lot, and lọt

English

Etymology

From Old English hlot (“portion, choice, decision”), from Proto-Germanic *hlutą. Cognate with Dutch lot, Old High German hluz.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: lŏt, IPA: /lɒt/, X-SAMPA: /lQt/
• (US) enPR: lät, IPA: /lɑt/, X-SAMPA: /lAt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒt

Noun

lot (plural lots)

Lot, noun definition 5

1. A large quantity or number; a great deal.

   to spend a lot of money

   lots of people think so

2. A separate portion; a number of things taken collectively.

   a lot of stationery

3. One or more items auctioned or sold as a unit, separate from other items.
4. (informal) A number of people taken collectively.

   a sorry lot

   a bad lot

5. A distinct portion or plot of land, usually smaller than a field.

   a building lot in a city

6. That which happens without human design or forethought; chance; accident; hazard; fortune; fate.
7. Anything (as a die, pebble, ball, or slip of paper) used in determining a question by chance, or without human choice or will.

   to cast lots

   to draw lots

8. The part, or fate, that falls to one, as it were, by chance, or without his planning.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Book III, chapter ii

     ... as Jones alone was discovered, the poor lad bore not only the whole smart, but the whole blame; both which fell again to his lot on the following occasion.

9. A prize in a lottery.
10. Allotment; lottery.
    • 1990: Donald Kagan, Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy, chapter 2: “Politician”, page 40 (Guild Publishing; CN 2239)

      The Greeks expected their leaders to show physical courage, whether in the athletic arena or in battle, as well as piety, generosity, and nobility. Cimon had risen to power chiefly because of his military prowess, and any rival must be able to show at least honorable service and military competence. By this time, moreover, the generals were coming to be the most important political figures in Athens. Archons served only for one year and, since 487/6, they were chosen by lot. Generals, on the other hand, were chosen by direct election and could be reelected without limit.

11. (definite, the lot) All members of a set; everything.

    The table was loaded with food, but by evening there was nothing but crumbs; we had eaten the lot.

    If I were in charge, I'd fire the lot of them.

12. An old unit of weight used in many European countries from the Middle Ages, often defined as 1/30 or 1/32 of a (local) pound.

Synonyms

• (large quantity or number): load, mass, pile
• (number of things taken collectively): batch, collection, group, set
• (informal: a number of people taken collectively): crowd, gang, group
• (distinct portion or plot of land): allotment, parcel, plot
• (that which happens without human design or forethought): destiny, fate, fortune
• (anything used in determining a question by chance):
• (fate that falls to one by chance):
• (prize in a lottery): prize
• See also Wikisaurus:lot

Derived terms

• a lot

Translations

large quantity or number — see a lot

number of things taken collectively

• Finnish: erä (fi)
• French: groupe (fr) m, ensemble (fr) m
• German: Menge (de) f, Los (de) n, Charge (de) f, Haufen (de) m, Anzahl (de) f

• Portuguese: quantidade (pt)
• Swedish: mängd (sv) c

informal: a number of people taken collectively

• Finnish: joukko (fi)
• French: bande (fr) f
• German: Gruppe (de) f, Menge (de) f, Haufen (de) m, Häuflein (de) n

• Portuguese: bando (pt) m
• Russian: группа (ru) (gruppa) f
• Swedish: bunt (sv) c

distinct portion or plot of land

• Finnish: tontti (fi)
• German: Parzelle (de) f, Grund (de) m, Grundstück (de) n

• Swedish: tomt (sv)

that which happens without human design or forethought

• Finnish: kohtalo (fi), osa (fi)
• French: destin (fr) m
• German: Schicksal (de) n, Los (de) n
• Italian: destino (it) m

• Norwegian: skjebne (no)
• Russian: участь (ru) (účastʹ) f, судьба (ru) (sudʹbá) f
• Spanish: destino (es)
• Swedish: öde (sv) n, lott (sv) c

anything used in determining a question by chance

• Finnish: arpa (fi)
• German: Los (de) n

• Russian: жребий (ru) (žrébij) m
• Swedish: lott (sv) c

fate that falls to one by chance

• Finnish: arpaonni (fi)
• Japanese: 宿命 (ja), shukumei (ja) n
• German: Los (de) n, Schicksal (de) n

• Swedish: lott (sv) c

prize in a lottery

• Finnish: voitto (fi), arpajaisvoitto (fi)

• German: Los (de) n

Verb

lot (third-person singular simple present lots, present participle lotting, simple past and past participle lotted)

1. (transitive, dated) To allot; to sort; to apportion.

Anagrams

• LTO
• OTL

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Albanian

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *lā(i)ta, from Proto-Indo-European *lēi 'to pour'. Alternatively from Proto-Albanian *ḱlúoti, from Proto-Indo-European *k̂leu, *k̂lōu 'to rinse, clean'. Compare Ancient Greek κλύδων (“wash of the waves”), Latin cluō (“to purge”), Gothic hlutrs (“bright, pure, clear”), Lithuanian šlúota (“broom”).

Noun

lot f

1. tear (from the eye)

   Gjak, lot dhe djersë — Blood, tears and sweat

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔt

Noun

lot n (plural loten, diminutive lotje)

1. destiny, fate
2. lottery ticket

Anagrams

• tol

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French

Etymology

From Frankish *lot, from Proto-Germanic.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /lo/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

Noun

lot m (plural lots)

1. share (of inheritance)
2. plot (of land)
3. batch (of goods for sale)
4. lot (at auction)
5. prize (in lottery)
6. lot, fate
7. (slang) babe

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Guernésiais

Etymology

From a Germanic source.

Noun

lot m (plural lots)

1. lot (at auction)

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Kurdish

Noun

lot gender unspecified

1. jump

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Lojban

Rafsi

lot

1. rafsi of bloti.

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA: /lɔt/

Noun

lot m

1. flight

Declension

    declension of lot

	singular	plural
nominative	lot	loty
genitive	lotu	lotów
dative	lotowi	lotom
accusative	lot	loty
instrumental	lotem	lotami
locative	locie	lotach
vocative	locie	loty

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Scottish Gaelic

Noun

lot m, gen lota, pl lotan

1. sore, wound
2. sting

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Tatar

Noun

lot

1. A unit of weight: 1 lot = 3 mısqal = 12.797 g (archaic) [1]

Declension

    declension of lot

Nominative	lot
Genitive	lotnıñ
Dative	lotqa
Accusative	lotnı
Locative	lotta
Ablative	lottan

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West Frisian

Noun

lot c (plural lotten)

1. fate, destiny