plot

See also: płot

English

Etymology

From Middle English plot, plotte, from Old English plot (“a plot of ground”), from Proto-Germanic *plataz, *platjaz (“a patch”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Middle Low German plet (“patch, strip of cloth, rags”), German Bletz (“rags, bits, strip of land”), Gothic 𐍀𐌻𐌰𐍄𐍃 (plats, “a patch, rags”). See also plat. See also complot for an influence on or source of the "secret plan" sense.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /plɒt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /plɑt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒt

Noun

plot (plural plots)

1. (authorship) The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means. [from 1640s]

   Synonym: storyline

   • (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     If the plot or intrigue must be natural, and such as springs from the subject, then the winding up of the plot must be a probable consequence of all that went before.

2. An area or land used for building on or planting on. [from 1550s]

   Synonym: parcel

3. A graph or diagram drawn by hand or produced by a mechanical or electronic device.
4. A secret plan to achieve an end, the end or means usually being illegal or otherwise questionable. [from 1580s]

   Synonyms: conspiracy, scheme

   The plot would have enabled them to get a majority on the board.

   The assassination of Lincoln was part of a larger plot.

   • (Can we date this quote by William Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     I have overheard a plot of death.

   • (Can we date this quote by Addison and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     O, think what anxious moments pass between / The birth of plots and their last fatal periods!

5. Contrivance; deep reach thought; ability to plot or intrigue.
   • (Can we date this quote by Denham and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     a man of much plot

6. Participation in any stratagem or conspiracy.
   • (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     And when Christ saith, Who marries the divorced commits adultery, it is to be understood, if he had any plot in the divorce.

7. A plan; a purpose.
   • (Can we date this quote by Jeremy Taylor and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     no other plot in their religion but serve God and save their souls

Derived terms

• Gunpowder Plot
• lose the plot
• plotless
• subplot
• the plot thickens/plot thickens

 

Translations

course of a story

• Arabic: حَبْكَة f (ḥabka)
• Armenian: սյուժե (hy) (syuže)
• Belarusian: сюжэ́т m (sjužét), фа́була f (fábula)
• Bulgarian: сюже́т (bg) m (sjužét)
• Catalan: argument (ca) m, trama (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 情節／情节 (zh) (qíngjié), 情节 (zh) (qíngjié), (of a film or play) 劇情／剧情 (zh) (jùqíng), 剧情 (zh) (jùqíng)

• Czech: obsah (cs) m, děj (cs) m, syžet m
• Dutch: plot m/n, intrige, verhaal n
• Esperanto: agado (eo)
• Estonian: süžee, sündmustik
• Finnish: juoni (fi)
• French: intrigue (fr) f
• Georgian: შინაარსი (šinaarsi), სიუჟეტი (siužeṭi)
• German: Handlung (de) f
• Greek: πλοκή (el) f (plokí)

  Ancient: μῦθος m (mûthos)

• Hebrew: עֲלִילָה (he) f
• Hungarian: történet (hu), cselekmény (hu)
• Icelandic: ráðabrugg n
• Indonesian: alur (id)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: trama (it) f, ordito (it) m, schema (it) m, canovaccio (it) m, intrigo (it) m
• Japanese: プロット (purotto), 筋 (ja) (すじ, suji)
• Latin: argumentum n
• Latvian: sižets m
• Maori: tāhū
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: intrige m, plott n, handling (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: intrige m, plott n, handling f

• Occitan: trama, argument, intriga
• Polish: fabuła (pl) f, sjużet m
• Portuguese: argumento (pt) m, trama (pt), enredo (pt) m, intriga (pt) f
• Romanian: subiect (ro) n
• Russian: сюже́т (ru) m (sjužét), фа́була (ru) f (fábula)
• Scottish Gaelic: gnìomhadh m
• Slovak: sujet m
• Spanish: argumento (es) m, trama (es) f, hilo argumental m, intriga (es) f
• Sundanese: galur
• Swedish: handling (sv) c, intrig (sv) c
• Thai: โครงเรื่อง (kroong-rʉ̂ʉang)
• Ukrainian: сюже́т m (sjužét), фа́була (uk) f (fábula)
• Vietnamese: cốt truyện (vi)

area of land used for building on or planting on

• Armenian: մարգ (hy) (marg)
• Catalan: solar (ca) m (per construir-hi o genèric), marjal m (per plantar-hi), terreny (ca) m
• Czech: parcela (cs) f
• Dutch: perceel (nl) n
• Esperanto: bedo (to plant on), terpeco (to build on)
• Finnish: tontti (fi) (to build on); palsta (fi) (to plant on)
• French: lopin (fr) m
• Galician: parcela f, predio m, soar (gl) m, formal m, terreo (gl) m
• Greek: αγροτεμάχιο (el) n (agrotemáchio)

  Ancient: χωρίον n (khōríon)

• Hungarian: földdarab, telek (hu), parcella (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Icelandic: reitur (is) m, skiki m, blettur (is) m, lóð f
• Irish: (planting) ceapach f
• Italian: lotto (it) m, parcella (it) f, appezzamento m, tratto (it) m, pezzo (it) m
• Macedonian: леа f (lea)
• Maori: ngakinga, pito whenua
• Polish: działka (pl) f
• Portuguese: lote (pt) m
• Russian: наде́л (ru) m (nadél), деля́нка (ru) f (deljánka), уча́сток (ru) m (učástok)
• Spanish: plano (es) m, lote (es), solar (es) m
• Thai: ที่ดิน (th) (tîi-din), แปลง (th) (bplɛɛng)
• Turkish: arsa (tr)

graph or diagram

• Catalan: gràfica f, traçada (ca) f
• Czech: nákres m, výkres m
• Dutch: plot (nl), diagram (nl) n, grafiek (nl) m
• Finnish: kuvio (fi), käyrä (fi)
• French: diagramme (fr) m, graphique (fr) m
• Icelandic: teikning (is) f, graf (is) n
• Italian: grafico (it) m, diagramma (it) m, planimetria (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Korean: 그림 (ko) (geurim)
• Polish: wykres (pl) m
• Portuguese: diagrama (pt) m, gráfico (pt) m
• Russian: граф (ru) m (graf), гра́фик (ru) m (gráfik), диагра́мма (ru) f (diagrámma)
• Spanish: gráfica (es) f, diagrama (es) m
• Tagalog: tunton
• Thai: แผนผัง (th) (pɛ̌ɛn-pǎng)

secret plan to achieve an end

• Catalan: complot (ca) m, conspiració f
• Chinese:

  Chinese: 陰謀／阴谋 (zh) (yīnmóu), 阴谋 (zh) (yīnmóu), 密謀／密谋 (zh) (mìmóu), 密谋 (zh) (mìmóu)

• Czech: ^{(please verify)} plán (cs) m, ^{(please verify)} spiknutí n, ^{(please verify)} komplot m
• Dutch: complot (nl) m, samenzwering (nl) f
• Esperanto: komploto, intrigo
• Finnish: juoni (fi), salajuoni
• French: complot (fr) m
• German: Komplott (de) n
• Greek: συνωμοσία (el) f (synomosía)

  Ancient: ἐπιβουλή f (epiboulḗ)

• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} kitervelés, ^{(please verify)} cselszövés (hu)
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} ráðabrugg n
• Italian: complotto (it) m, congiura (it) f, macchinazione (it) f, trama (it) f, ordito (it) m, cospirazione (it) f, piano (it) m, intrigo (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 陰謀 (ja) (いんぼう, inbō), 企み (たくらみ, takurami)
• Korean: 음모 (ko) (eummo)
• Latin: coniūrātiō f, insidiae f pl
• Manx: ^{(please verify)} cochialg
• Maori: kara, kōrero kaioraora (to commit murder), kaikaiwaiū (treacherous)
• Polish: spisek (pl) m
• Portuguese: complô (pt) m
• Romanian: complot (ro) n
• Russian: за́говор (ru) m (zágovor), сго́вор (ru) m (sgóvor)
• Spanish: complot (es) m, conspiración (es) f
• Swahili: njama class 9/10
• Swedish: komplott (sv) c, sammansvärjning (sv) c
• Thai: แผนการ (th) (pɛ̌ɛn-gaan), อุบาย (th) (ù-baai)
• Turkish: komplo (tr)

ability to plot or intrigue

• Finnish: juonikkuus (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

participation in any stratagem or conspiracy

• Finnish: juonittelu (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

plan; purpose

• Finnish: juoni (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: take

Verb

1. (transitive) To conceive (a crime, etc).

   They had plotted a robbery.

2. (transitive) To trace out (a graph or diagram).

   They plotted the number of edits per day.

3. (transitive) To mark (a point on a graph, chart, etc).

   Every five minutes they plotted their position.

   • (Can we date this quote by Carew and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     This treatise plotteth down Cornwall as it now standeth.

4. (intransitive) To conceive a crime, misdeed, etc.

   They were plotting against the king.

Synonyms

• (contrive): becast
• (conceive a crime, etc): scheme
• (an area of land): lot

Derived terms

• replot

Translations

transitive: to conceive

• Catalan: planejar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 陰謀／阴谋 (zh) (yīnmóu), 阴谋 (zh) (yīnmóu), 密謀／密谋 (zh) (mìmóu), 密谋 (zh) (mìmóu)

• Dutch: bedenken (nl), beramen (nl)
• Finnish: juonia (fi), suunnitella (fi)
• French: comploter (fr)
• German: planen (de), ausarbeiten (de), entwerfen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἐπιβουλεύω (epibouleúō)

• Hungarian: kitervel (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Icelandic: brugga launráð
• Italian: complottare (it), ordire (it), macchinare (it), congiurare (it), tramare (it), cospirare (it), pianificare (it), intrigare (it), tessere (it), orchestrare (it), architettare (it), fare la fronda
• Latin: contechnor
• Maori: whakangārahu, kakai
• Portuguese: conceber (pt)
• Quechua: allwiy
• Romanian: urzi (ro)
• Serbo-Croatian: kovati (sh), snuti (sh)
• Spanish: tramar (es)
• Thai: คบคิด (th)

to trace out a graph or diagram

• Belarusian: чарці́ць impf (čarcícʹ), начарці́ць pf (načarcícʹ)
• Catalan: traçar (ca)
• Dutch: plotten (nl)
• Finnish: tulostaa (fi), plotata, piirtää käyrä, piirtää (fi)
• French: tracer (fr)
• German: plotten
• Hungarian: ábrázol (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Icelandic: kortleggja
• Irish: marcáil, graf
• Italian: tracciare (it), disegnare (it)
• Portuguese: traçar (pt)
• Spanish: trazar (es)
• Tagalog: tuntunin
• Thai: พล็อต (plɔ́t)

to mark a point on a graph

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Catalan: marcar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: merkitä (fi)
• French: marquer (fr)
• German: please add this translation if you can
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: megjelöl (hu), jelez (hu) (optionally adding grafikonon if it's not clear from the context)
• Irish: marcáil, graf
• Italian: marcare (it), rilevare (it)
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: marcar (pt)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Tagalog: tuntunin
• Thai: พล็อต (plɔ́t)

intransitive: to conceive

• Catalan: conspirar (ca)
• Finnish: juonitella
• French: conspirer (fr)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἐπιβουλεύω (epibouleúō)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: összeesküszik (hu)
• Italian: organizzare (it), cospirare (it), complottare (it)
• Maori: whakatakoto kara, kakai, whakangārahu
• Spanish: conspirar (es), tramar (es)
• Swedish: konspirera (sv)

Anagrams

• OLTP, PTOL, lopt, polt

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Albanian

Etymology

From plotë.

Adverb

plot

1. full, fully

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Czech

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *plotъ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈplot]

Noun

1. fence

Derived terms

• živý plot m

Related terms

• oplotit

Further reading

• Template:R:PSJC
• Template:R:SSJC

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔt

Verb

plot

1. (deprecated template usage) first-, second- and third-person singular present indicative of plotten
2. (deprecated template usage) imperative of plotten

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Luxembourgish

Verb

plot

1. third-person singular present indicative of ploen
2. second-person plural present indicative of ploen
3. second-person plural imperative of ploen

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *plotъ

Noun

plot m (Cyrillic spelling плот)

1. fence

Declension

Declension of plot

	singular	plural
nominative	plot	plotovi
genitive	plota	plotova
dative	plotu	plotovima
accusative	plot	plotove
vocative	plotu/plote (?)	plotovi
locative	plotu	plotovima
instrumental	plotom	plotovima

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Spanish

Noun

plot m (plural plots)

1. (story-telling) plot