A lot of something or lots of it is a large amount of it. A lot of people or things, or lots of them, is a large number of them.
A lot of our land is used to grow crops for export.
I remember a lot of things.
'You'll find that everybody will try and help their colleague.'—'Yeah. There's alot of that.'
Lots of pubs like to deck themselves out with flowers in summer.
He drank lots of milk.
A lot of the play is very funny.
Lot is also a pronoun.
There's lots going on at Selfridges this month.
I learned a lot from him about how to run a band. [+ from]
I know a lot has been said about my sister's role in my career.
2. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
A lot means to a great extent or degree.
Matthew's out quite a lot doing his research.
I like you, a lot.
If I went out and accepted a job at a lot less money, I'd jeopardize a good career.
3. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you do something a lot, you do it often or for a long time.
They went out a lot, to the Cafe Royal or The Ivy.
He talks a lot about his own children. [+ about]
4. countable noun [num NOUN]
You can use lot to refer to a set or group of things or people.
He bought two lots of 1,000 shares in the company during August and September. [+ of]
We've just sacked one lot of builders. [+ of]
Synonyms: bunch [informal], group, crowd, crew [informal] More Synonyms of lot
5. singular noun [adjective NOUN]
You can refer to a specific group of people as a particular lot.
[informal]
Future generations are going to think that we were a pretty boring lot.
6. singular noun
You can use the lot to refer to the whole of an amount that you have just mentioned.
[informal]
She was given £20 and by Monday morning had spent the lot.
7. singular noun [usually with poss]
Your lot is the kind of life you have or the things that you have or experience.
Sometimes you just have to accept your lot in life . [+ in]
Synonyms: destiny, situation, circumstances, fortune More Synonyms of lot
8. countable noun
A lot is a small area of land that belongs to a person or company.
[US]
If oil or gold are discovered under your lot, you can sell the mineral rights.
9. See also parking lot
10. countable noun
A lot in an auction is one of the objects or groups of objects that are being sold.
The receivers are keen to sell the stores as one lot.
The two lots have made just over £5 million.
Synonyms: share, group, set, piece More Synonyms of lot
11.
See to draw lots
12.
See to throw in your lot with someone
lot in British English
(lɒt)
pronoun
1. (functioning as singular or plural; preceded bya)
a great number or quantity
a lot to do
a lot of people
a lot of trouble
noun
2.
a collection of objects, items, or people
a nice lot of youngsters
3.
portion in life; destiny; fortune
it falls to my lot to be poor
4.
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 draworcast lots)
5.
the use of lots in making a selection or choice (esp in the phrase by lot)
6.
an assigned or apportioned share
7.
an item or set of items for sale in an auction
8. mainly US and Canadian
an area of land
a parking lot
9. US and Canadian
a piece of land with fixed boundaries
10. mainly US and Canadian
a film studio and the site on which it is located
11. a bad lot
12. cast in one's lot with
13. the lot
adverb(preceded by a) informal
14.
to a considerable extent, degree, or amount; very much
to delay a lot
15.
a great deal of the time or often
to sing madrigals a lot
verbWord forms: lots, lotting or lotted
16.
to draw lots for (something)
17. (transitive)
to divide (land, etc) into lots
18. (transitive) another word for allot
Word origin
Old English hlot; related to Old High German lug portion of land, Old Norse hlutr lot, share
Lot in British English1
(lɒt)
noun
1.
a department of S central France, in Occitanie 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)
Lot in British English2
(lɒt)
noun
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)
Lot in American English1
(lɑt)
noun
Bible
Abraham's nephew, who, warned by two angels, fled from the doomed city of Sodom: his wife looked back to see the destruction and was turned into a pillar of salt: Gen. 19:1-26
Word origin
Heb Lōṭ
Lot in American English2
(lɔt)
river in S France, flowing west into the Garonne: c. 300 mi (483 km)
lot in American English
(lɑt)
noun
1.
an object used in deciding a matter by chance, a number of these being placed in a container and then drawn or cast out at random one by one
2.
the use of such an object or objects in determining a matter
to choose men by lot
3.
the decision or choice arrived at by this means, regarded as the verdict of chance
4.
what a person receives as the result of such a decision; share
5.
one's portion in life; fortune
her unhappy lot
6.
a plot of ground
; specif.,
a. US
a subdivision of a block in a town or city
b. US
a parcel of land in a cemetery
7.
a.
a number of persons or things regarded as a group
b.
a quantity of material processed or manufactured at the same time
8. [often pl.]; Informal
a great number or amount
a lot of cars, lots of money
9. Informal
sort (of person or persons)
he's a bad lot
10. US, Cinema
a studio with the surrounding area belonging to it; specif., the area used for outdoor filming
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈlotted or ˈlotting
11.
to divide into lots
12. Rare
to allot
verb intransitive
13.
to draw or cast lots
SIMILAR WORDS: fate
Idioms:
a (whole) lot
cast in one's lot with
draw lots
the lot
Word origin
ME < OE hlot, akin to Ger los, Du lot, ON hlutr, Goth hlauts < IE base *klēu-, a hook, forked branch > close2, L clavis, key
More idioms containing
lot
have a lot of irons in the fire
get a lot of stick
all over the lot
throw in your lot with someone
Examples of 'lot' in a sentence
lot
Cratyn was going to find taking Medalon a lot harder than he imagined.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
There was a lot of noise in the background, like a restaurant, I thought.
Jon Cleary YESTERDAY'S SHADOW (2001)
I suspect he'll find it a lot easier to give away his daughter than his precious cannon.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
Word lists with
lot
French départements
In other languages
lot
British English: lot /lɒt/ NOUN
A lot of something, or lots of something, is a large amount of it.
He drank lots of milk.
American English: group
Arabic: مَجْمُوعَةٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: lote
Chinese: 批
Croatian: mnogo
Czech: spousta
Danish: mængde
Dutch: heleboel
European Spanish: mucho
Finnish: joukko
French: beaucoup (de)
German: Menge
Greek: παρτίδα
Italian: tanto lotteria
Japanese: 群れ
Korean: 무리 많은
Norwegian: samling
Polish: los
European Portuguese: muito
Romanian: mult
Russian: большое количество
Latin American Spanish: mucho
Swedish: andel
Thai: จำนวนมาก
Turkish: topluluk
Ukrainian: багато
Vietnamese: một lượng lớn
Chinese translation of 'lot'
lot
(lɔt)
n(c)
(= set, group) (of papers, books, people etc) 批 (pī)
⇒ We've just sacked one lot of builders.我们刚解雇了一批建筑工人。 (Wǒmen gāng jiěgùle yī pī jiànzhù gōngrén.)
(= land) 地皮 (dìpí) see alsoparking lot
(at auction) 批件 (pījiàn)
⇒ lot no. 359批件号为359 (pījiànhào wéi sānbǎi wǔshíjiǔ)
(= destiny) 命运(運) (mìngyùn)
⇒ attempts by the workers to improve their lot工人为改变自身命运所做的努力 (gōngrén wèi gǎibiàn zìshēn mìngyùn suǒ zuò de nǔlì)
a lot (= many)[of books etc]许(許)多 (xǔduō)
⇒ Have one of mine, I've got a lot.给你一个吧，我有很多。 (Gěi nǐ yī gè ba, wǒ yǒu hěn duō.)
(= much)[of money etc]很多 (hěn duō)
⇒ We still owe quite a lot.我们还是欠很多钱。 (Wǒmen háishì qiàn hěn duō qián.)
a lot of (= many, much) 许(許)多 (xǔduō)
⇒ a lot of people许多人 (xǔduō rén)
⇒ I drink a lot of coffee.我喝许多咖啡。 (Wǒ hē xǔduō kāfēi.)
lots of[things, people]许(許)多 (xǔduō)
he reads/smokes a lot他书(書)读(讀)得/烟(煙)抽得很多 (tā shū dú de/yān chōu de hěn duō)
I like you a lot我非常喜欢(歡)你 (wǒ fēicháng xǐhuān nǐ)
the lot (inf, = everything) 全部 (quánbù)
⇒ She's taken the lot!她全部都拿走了！ (Tā quánbù dōu názǒu le!)
they're a boring/friendly lot (inf) 他们(們)这(這)些人很无(無)聊/友好 (tāmen zhèxiē rén hěn wúliáo/yǒuhǎo)
to draw lots抽签(籤) (chōuqiān)
All related terms of 'lot'
a lot
( many : of books etc ) 许(許)多 xǔduō ⇒ Have one of mine, I've got a lot. → 给你一个吧，我有很多。 Gěi nǐ yī gè ba, wǒ yǒu hěn duō.
the lot
( inf : everything ) 全部 quánbù ⇒ She's taken the lot! → 她全部都拿走了！ Tā quánbù dōu názǒu le!
a lot of
( many, much ) 许(許)多 xǔduō ⇒ a lot of people → 许多人 xǔduō rén
parking lot
停车(車)场(場) tíngchēchǎng [ 个(個) gè ] [ 英 = car park ]
rather a lot
相当(當)多 xiāngdāng duō
such a lot of
那么(麼)多 nàme duō
I like you a lot
我非常喜欢(歡)你 wǒ fēicháng xǐhuān nǐ
it was a lot of fun
非常开(開)心 fēicháng kāixīn
quite a lot of money
很多钱(錢) hěn duō qián
to mean a lot to sb
对(對)某人很重要 duì mǒurén hěn zhòngyào
he has a lot to lose
他要失去很多 tā yào shīqù hěn duō
he reads/smokes a lot
他书(書)读(讀)得/烟(煙)抽得很多 tā shū dú de/yān chōu de hěn duō