Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense pots, present participle potting, past tense, past participle potted
1. countable noun
A pot is a deep round container used for cooking stews, soups, and other food.
...metal cooking pots. [+ of]
Synonyms: container, bowl, pan, vessel More Synonyms of pot
A potof stew, soup, or other food is an amount of it contained in a pot.
He was stirring a pot of soup. [+ of]
2. countable noun
You can use pot to refer to a teapot or coffee pot.
There's tea in the pot.
A potof tea or coffee is an amount of it contained in a pot.
He spilt a pot of coffee. [+ of]
3. countable noun [oft noun NOUN]
A pot is a cylindrical container for jam, paint, or some other thick liquid.
Hundreds of jam pots lined her scrubbed shelves.
A potof jam, paint, or some other thick liquid is an amount of it contained in a pot.
...a pot of red paint. [+ of]
4. countable noun
A pot is the same as a flowerpot.
5. verb
If you pot a young plant, or part of a plant, you put it into a container filled with soil, so it can grow there.
Pot the cuttings individually. [VERB noun]
...potted plants. [VERB-ed]
6. uncountable noun
Pot is sometimes used to refer to the drugs cannabis and marijuana.
[informal]
7. quantifier [QUANTof pl-n/n-uncount]
If you have pots of money, you have a lot of it.
[informal]
He must have pots of money.
8. singular noun [theNOUN]
In a card game, the pot is the money from all the players which the winner of the game will take as a prize.
9. singular noun [theNOUN]
You can refer to a fund consisting of money from several people as the pot.
[mainly US]
I've taken some money from the pot for wrapping paper.
10. countable noun
Someone who has a pot has a round, fat stomach which sticks out, either because they eat or drink too much, or because they have had very littleto eat for some time.
[mainly US]
11. countable noun
A pot is a deep bowl which a small child uses instead of a toilet.
12. verb
In the games of snooker and billiards, if you pot a ball, you succeed in hitting it into one of the pockets.
He did not pot a ball for the next two frames. [VERB noun]
13. See also potted, chamber pot, chimney pot, coffee pot, lobster pot, melting pot, plant pot
14.
See go to pot
15.
See pot luck
16. pot of gold
More Synonyms of pot
pot in British English1
(pɒt)
noun
1.
a container made of earthenware, glass, or similar material; usually round and deep, often having a handle and lid, used for cooking and other domestic purposes
2. short for flowerpot, teapot
3.
the amount that a pot will hold; potful
4.
a chamber pot, esp a small one designed for a baby or toddler
5.
a handmade piece of pottery
6.
a large mug or tankard, as for beer
7. Australian
any of various measures used for serving beer
8. informal
a cup or trophy, esp of silver, awarded as a prize in a competition
9.
the money or stakes in the pool in gambling games, esp poker
10. (often plural) informal
a large amount, esp of money
11.
a wicker trap for catching fish, esp crustaceans
a lobster pot
12. billiards, snooker
a shot by which a ball is pocketed
13. mainly British short for chimneypot
14. US informal
a joint fund created by a group of individuals or enterprises and drawn upon by them for specified purposes
15. hunting pot shot
16. potbelly
17. go to pot
verbWord forms: pots, potting or potted(mainly tr)
18.
to set (a plant) in a flowerpot to grow
19.
to put or preserve (goods, meat, etc) in a pot
20.
to cook (food) in a pot
21.
to shoot (game) for food rather than for sport
22.
to shoot (game birds or animals) while they are on the ground or immobile rather than flying or running
23. (also intr)
to shoot casually or without careful aim at (an animal, etc)
24.
to sit (a baby or toddler) on a chamber pot
25. (also intr)
to shape clay as a potter
26. billiards, snooker
to pocket (a ball)
27. informal
to capture or win; secure
Word origin
Late Old English pott, from Medieval Latin pottus (unattested), perhaps from Latin pōtus a drink; compare Middle Low German pot, Old Norse pottr
pot in British English2
(pɒt)
noun
a. Scottish and Northern England dialect
a deep hole or pothole
b.
(capital when part of a name)
Pen-y-Ghent Pot
Word origin
C14: perhaps identical with pot1 but possibly of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish dialect putt water hole, pit
pot in British English3
(pɒt)
noun
slang
cannabis used as a drug in any form, such as leaves (marijuana or hemp) or resin (hashish)
Word origin
C20: perhaps shortened from local Mexican word potiguaya
pot in British English4
(pɒt)
noun
informal short for potentiometer
pot in American English1
(pɑt)
noun
1.
a round vessel of any size, made of metal, earthenware, or glass, used for holdingliquids, cooking or preserving food, etc.
2.
a pot with its contents
3.
potful
4.
a pot of liquor; drink; potation
5.
flowerpot, lobster pot, chimney pot, etc.
6.
a.
chamber pot
b. Slang
a toilet
with the
7. Informal
a.
all the money bet at a single time; pool; kitty
b.
a large amount, as of money
8. Informal
a potshot
9. Slang
potbelly
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈpotted or ˈpotting
10.
to put into a pot
11.
to preserve in a pot or jar
12.
to cook in a pot
13.
to shoot (game) for food instead of for sport
14.
to hit or secure by or as by a potshot
15. Informal
to secure, win, or capture; bag
verb intransitive
16. Informal
to take a potshot; shoot
Idioms:
go to pot
Word origin
ME < OE pott, akin to Du & Fr pot < ML pottus < VL potus, drinking cup < L, a drink < potare: see potable
pot in American English2
(pɑt)
US
noun
Slang
marijuana
Word origin
contr. < AmSp potiguaya
pot in American English3
potential
More idioms containing
pot
a pot of gold
go to pot
keep the pot boiling
the pot calling the kettle black
the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
a watched pot never boils
be pot luck
take pot luck
a quart into a pint pot
in the melting pot
COBUILD Collocations
pot
patio pot
Examples of 'pot' in a sentence
pot
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
Cold weather can be deadly for plants growing in pots and containers.
The Sun (2016)
There she was proudly holding out a little flower in a plant pot and a card.
The Sun (2017)
Place in a deep roasting or ovenproof sauté pan that can fit pots.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
All ten finalists were presented with a specially engraved Arabic coffee pot.
The Sun (2016)
It is a multicultural melting pot where nearly 40 per cent are immigrants.
The Sun (2017)
Two thirds of this pays for research that they want to conduct and the remainder goes into a common pot to fund collaboration.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I make two huge pots of tea and we sit around in our dressing gowns eating croissants and drinking tea.
The Sun (2016)
Rain cheque IN most fairytales there is a pot of gold at the end of these.
The Sun (2016)
And there the pot of gold would be if you had the luck to find it.
Travers, P L What the Bee Knows - reflections on myth, symbol and story (1989)
This is only suitable for people with big pots and other assets.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Take a pot of tea brewed to normal strength and pour into suitable glasses.
Wild, Anthony The East India Company Book of Tea (1994)
Two centuries might be a bit ambitious but some pot plants can last a long time.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Remove and divide into the serving soup pots.
Conil, Jean & Conil, Christopher (ed) A Passion for Food (1989)
Taking big pots and containers inside for the winter is hard work.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
If you are thrifty it is worth collecting small yoghurt pots or plastic cups.
Kitto, Dick Planning the Organic Vegetable Garden (1986)
The mouse hid in a jam pot.
Beatrix Potter The Tales of Beatrix Potter (1930)
The person with the most right choices at the end of the day takes home the pot.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This has been replaced with a smaller pot of money targeted at those most in need.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Not very suitable for growing in pots.
Stickland, Sue Planning the Organic Herb Garden (1986)
The contents of chamber pots were often simply flung out of the windows.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We can have a pot of tea on the terrace.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Add a small pot of hummus for dipping.
The Sun (2013)
But we are clear that we want the government to commit to putting more funds into the pot.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Canadians value mosaic over melting pot.
Christianity Today (2000)
Use clay rather than plastic pots, which may blow off in the wind.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It means a single winner of both pots would pick up around 400,000.
The Sun (2008)
In other languages
pot
British English: pot /pɒt/ NOUN
A pot is a deep round container for cooking food.
...metal cooking pots.
American English: pot
Arabic: إِناء
Brazilian Portuguese: panela
Chinese: 壶
Croatian: lonac
Czech: hrnec
Danish: gryde
Dutch: pot voorwerp
European Spanish: bote tarro
Finnish: kattila
French: pot
German: Topf
Greek: χύτρα
Italian: vaso
Japanese: 深鍋
Korean: 항아리
Norwegian: kasserolle
Polish: rondel
European Portuguese: panela
Romanian: oală
Russian: горшок
Latin American Spanish: bote vasija
Swedish: kruka
Thai: หม้อ
Turkish: tencere
Ukrainian: горщик для запікання
Vietnamese: nồi
Translate your text for free
All related terms of 'pot'
pot on
to transfer (a plant) to a larger flowerpot
hot pot
meat or fish and potatoes cooked together in a tightly covered pot
mud pot
a hot spring filled with boiling mud
pan pot
a control on a stereo sound mixing desk by means of which the relative levels in right- and left-hand channels can be adjusted and hence the apparent position of the recorded or broadcast sound source within the stereo panorama can be controlled
Pol Pot
original name Kompong Thom. 1925–98, Cambodian Communist statesman; prime minister of Kampuchea (1976; 1977–79); his policies led to the deaths of thousands in labour camps before he was overthrown by Vietnamese forces; in 1997 his former supporters in the Khmer Rouge captured him and claimed to have tried and sentenced him to life imprisonment
tin-pot
of little importance or value; insignificant , petty , inferior , etc.
coal pot
a cooking device using charcoal , consisting of a raised iron bowl and a central grid
Crock-Pot
an electric cooker consisting of an earthenware pot inside a container with a heating element that maintains a steady low temperature, used as for simmering stews for several hours
fire pot
the part of a household furnace in which the fire is made
honey pot
any of a caste of workers in certain species of ants , that serve as living storehouses for a honeylike material later used by the whole colony
paint pot
a container, as a jar , pail , or bucket , for holding paint while it is being applied
patio pot
A pot is the same as a → flowerpot .
peat pot
a pot containing compresses peat used for planting seeds
plant pot
A plant pot is a container that is used for growing plants.
pot belly
Someone who has a pot belly has a round, fat stomach which sticks out, either because they eat or drink too much, or because they have had very little to eat for some time.
pot-bound
(of a pot plant) having grown to fill all the available root space and therefore lacking room for continued growth
pot-holed
A pot-holed road has a lot of potholes in it.
pot luck
If you take pot luck , you decide to do something even though you do not know what you will get as a result .
pot plant
A pot plant is a plant which is grown in a container, especially indoors.
pot roast
A pot roast is a piece of meat that is cooked very slowly with a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
pot shot
To take a pot shot at someone or something means to shoot at them without taking the time to aim carefully.
pot still
a type of still used in distilling whisky in which heat is applied directly to the pot in which the wash is contained
chamber pot
A chamber pot is a round container shaped like a very large cup . Chamber pots used to be kept in bedrooms so that people could urinate in them instead of having to leave their room during the night .
chimney pot
A chimney pot is a short pipe which is fixed on top of a chimney.
coffee pot
A coffee pot is a tall narrow pot with a spout and a lid , in which coffee is made or served.
go to pot
If something goes to pot , it loses all its good qualities because nobody looks after it or works at it.
lobster pot
A lobster pot is a trap used for catching lobsters. It is in the shape of a basket.
melting pot
A melting pot is a place or situation in which people or ideas of different kinds gradually get mixed together .
mustard pot
a small pot , of glass, silver , etc, placed on the table to serve mustard
pepper pot
a small container with perforations in the top for sprinkling pepper
pot-bellied
Someone, usually a man, who is pot-bellied has a pot belly .
pot cheese
a type of coarse dry cottage cheese
pot liquor
the broth in which meat , esp pork or bacon , and vegetables have been cooked
pot scourer
a small ball of wire or stiff plastic, or a flat piece of a rough fabric used for cleaning kitchen pots and pans
pot-valiant
valiant and bold from drunkenness
smudge pot
a container for burning oil or other fuels to produce smudge , as for protecting fruit trees from frost
yoghurt pot
a small, usually plastic, container that is used for selling yogurt and, when empty , is often used as a craft material
pot-au-feu
a traditional French stew of beef and vegetables
pot marigold
a Central European and Mediterranean plant, Calendula officinalis, grown for its rayed orange-and-yellow showy flowers, the petals of which were formerly used to colour food: family Asteraceae ( composites )
pot marjoram
an aromatic Mediterranean plant, Origanum (or Marjorana ) hortensis, with small pale purple flowers and sweet-scented leaves, used for seasoning food and in salads : family Lamiaceae ( labiates )
pot training
the process of teaching young children to control the timing of bladder and bowel movements and to use the lavatory
pot-walloper
(in some English boroughs ) a man entitled to the franchise before 1832 by virtue of possession of his own fireplace
watering pot
a container, esp. a can with a spout having a perforated nozzle , for watering plants, etc.
be pot luck
if a meal at your house will be pot luck , you have not planned it or prepared any special food
take pot luck
to make a choice from what is available , although you do not have any knowledge to help you, and so it is a matter of luck whether you get something good
hotpot
A hotpot is a mixture of meat and vegetables cooked slowly in liquid in the oven .
pothead
a habitual user of cannabis
pothole
A pothole is a large hole in the surface of a road, caused by traffic and bad weather.
teapot
A teapot is a container with a lid, a handle, and a spout, used for making and serving tea.
a pot of gold
a lot of money that someone hopes to get in the future