Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: hlot 'object used for making a choice by chance'

lot

2 noun
     
Related topics: Film, Trade
lot2
1

group of people/things

[countable] a group of people or things considered together:
Could you help me carry this lot upstairs?
lot of
The last lot of people offered £70,000.
I did three lots of exams last summer.
Come on, you lot, hurry up!
His friends are a strange lot.
2

the lot

especially British English the whole of an amount or number of things, people etc:
We'll do everything - cooking, washing, ironing - the lot.
I can't believe you ate the whole lot.
I think that's the lot (=everything is included).
the lot of you/them/us (=all of you, them, or us)
Shut up, the lot of you!
3

somebody's situation

[singular] your lot is your work, duties, social position etc, especially when they could be better:
She seems happy enough with her lot.
The unions have always tried to improve the lot of their members.
4

land

[countable] especially American English an area of land used for building on or for another purpose:
the vacant lot (=empty land) behind the Commercial Hotel
a used-car lot
 ➔ parking lot
5

film

[countable]AMF a building and the land surrounding it where films are made [= studio]:
the Universal Studios lot
6

thing to be sold

[countable]BBT something, or a group of things, that is sold at an auction:
Lot 54 is a Victorian lamp.
7

choosing

a)

by lot

if someone is chosen by lot, several people each take a piece of paper or an object from a container, and the person who is chosen is the one who gets a particular marked paper or object:
In Athens at that time, judges were chosen by lot.
b)

draw/cast lots

to choose something or someone by lot:
We drew lots to decide who should go first.
8

throw in/cast your lot with somebody/something

to join or support someone or something, and accept that what happens to them will affect what happens to you:
In 1915 Italy threw in her lot with the allies.

➔ bad lot

at bad1 (21)

➔ a job lot

at job (17)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary