Etimology
From Middle English lot, from Old English hlot (“portion, choice, decision”), from Proto-Germanic *hlutą. Cognate with North Frisian lod, Saterland Frisian Lot, West Frisian lot, Dutch lot, French lot, German Low German Lott, Middle High German luz. Doublet of lotto. Related also to German Los.
noun
lot (plural lots)
A large quantity or number; a great deal.
A separate portion; a number of things taken collectively.
One or more items auctioned or sold as a unit, separate from other items.
(informal) A number of people taken collectively.
A distinct portion or plot of land, usually smaller than a field.
That which happens without human design or forethought.
Anything (as a die, pebble, ball, or slip of paper) used in determining a question by chance, or without human choice or will.
The part, or fate, that falls to one, as it were, by chance, or without one's planning.
A prize in a lottery.
Allotment; lottery.
(definite, the lot) All members of a set; everything.
(historical) 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.
Examples
Synonyms: load, mass, pile
to spend a lot of money
lots of people think so
He wrote to her […] he might be detained in London by a lot of business.
I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out.
Synonyms: batch, collection, group, set
a lot of stationery
Synonyms: crowd, gang, group
a sorry lot
a bad lot
you lot
Synonyms: allotment, parcel, plot
a building lot in a city
The defendants leased a house and lot, in the City of New-York
Synonyms: chance, accident, destiny, fate, fortune
But save my life, which lot before your foot doth lay.
to cast lots
to draw lots
The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
If we draw lots, he speeds.
O visions ill foreseen! Each day's lot's / Enough to bear.
He was but born to try / The lot of man — to suffer and to die.
[…] 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.
We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.
Synonym: prize
In the lottery […] Sir R. Haddock one of the Commissrs of the Navy had the greatest lot, £3000 ; my coachman £ 40
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.
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.
Related words
synonyms
See also Thesaurus:lot
verb
lot (third-person singular simple present lots, present participle lotting, simple past and past participle lotted)
(transitive, dated) To allot; to sort; to apportion.
(US, informal, dated) To count or reckon (on or upon).