lot
a large amount or number of people or things
He eats lots of food.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
noun a lot (also informal lots)
very much; a large amount or number of things or people:
We ate a lot.
a lot of, lots of a large number or amount of things or people:
She's got a lot of friends.
Lots of love from Jane (= words at the end of a letter).
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
II. lot2 S2 BrE AmE noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: hlot 'object used for making a choice by chance']
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. SB’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] a building and the land surrounding it where films are made SYN studio:
the Universal Studios lot
6. THING TO BE SOLD [countable] 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)
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
determiner a lot of (also informal lots of)
a large number or amount of sb/sth
• What a lot of presents!
• A lot of people are coming to the meeting.
• black coffee with lots of sugar
• I saw a lot of her (= I saw her often) last summer.
Word Origin:
Old English hlot (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lot, German Los. The original meaning was ‘by lot’ and (by extension) the sense ‘a portion assigned to someone’; this gave rise to the other noun senses. The pronoun and adverb uses date from the early 19th cent.
Grammar Point:
many / a lot of / lots of
Many is used only with countable nouns. It is used mainly in questions and negative sentences: ▪ Do you go to many concerts? ◊ ▪ How many ▪ people came to the meeting? ◊ ▪ I don’t go to many concerts. Although it is not common in statements, it is used after so, as and too: ▪ You made too many mistakes.
In statements a lot of or lots of (informal) are much more common: ▪ I go to a lot of concerts. ◊ ▪ ‘How many CDs have you got?’ ‘Lots!’ However, they are not used with measurements of time or distance: ▪ I stayed in England for many/quite a few/ten weeks. ◊ I stayed in England a lot of weeks. When a lot of/lots of means ‘many’, it takes a plural verb: ▪ Lots of people like Italian food. You can also use plenty of (informal): ▪ Plenty of stores stay open late. These phrases can also be used in questions and negative sentences.
A lot of/lots of is still felt to be informal, especially in BrE, so in formal writing it is better to use many or a large number of in statements.
note at much
Grammar Point:
much / a lot of / lots of
Much is used only with uncountable nouns. It is used mainly in questions and negative sentences: ▪ Do you have much free time? ◊ ▪ How much ▪ experience have you had? ◊ ▪ I don’t have much free time.
In statements a lot of or lots of (informal) is much more common: ▪ ‘How much (money) does she earn? ◊ ▪ She earns a lot of money. You can also use plenty (of). These phrases can also be used in questions and negative sentences.
A lot of/lots of is still felt to be informal, especially in BrE, so in formal writing it is better to use much, a great deal of or a large amount of.
Very much and a lot can be used as adverbs: ▪ I miss my family very much. ◊ I miss very much my family. ◊ ▪ I miss my family a lot. ◊ ▪ Thanks a lot. In negative sentences you can use much: ▪ I didn’t enjoy the film (very) much.
note at many
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
lot / lɒt / / lɑːt / noun (LARGE AMOUNT)
a lot (of) informal A1 lots (of) a large amount or number of people or things:
She eats lots of fruit.
There were a lot of people there.
He does a lot of travelling in his job.
I've got a lot to do today.
He earns lots of money.
There's lots of food.
a lot A1 very much or very often:
Your sister looks a lot like you.
I'm feeling a lot better today.
He looks a lot older than his wife.
We used to go there a lot.
have a lot to answer for to be the main cause of a problem or an unpleasant situation:
People who sell drugs to kids have a lot to answer for.
the lot UK informal everything:
I made enough curry for three people and he ate the lot.
Have I got everything? Is that the lot?
I'll sell you the whole lot for only £50.
I'm sick of the lot of them.
lot / lɒt / / lɑːt / noun [ C ] UK (GROUP)
an amount or set of things, especially when there are several of these amounts:
I've already done one lot of washing.
Another lot of visitors will be here this afternoon.
lot / lɒt / / lɑːt / noun [ C ] (SALE)
in an auction (= public sale) , an object or set of objects that are being sold:
Lot number 134 is a fine old walnut bureau.
→ See also job lot
lot / lɒt / / lɑːt / noun (LAND)
[ C ] mainly US an area of land:
an empty lot
a parking lot
They're planning to build a house on a vacant lot on 35th Street.
[ C ] US a film studio and the land around it
lot / lɒt / / lɑːt / noun (LIFE)
sb's lot/the lot of sb the quality of someone's life and the experiences that they have:
They should do something to improve the lot of the lowest-paid workers.
Do you think he's happy with his lot?
lot / lɒt / / lɑːt / noun (CHANCE)
draw lots to make a decision by choosing from a set of objects such as pieces of paper or sticks that are all the same except for one:
We drew lots to decide who would go.
lot / lɒt / / lɑːt / noun [ plural ] UK informal
a group of people:
You're an ignorant lot!
Are you lot coming to lunch?
My lot (= children and family generally) won't eat spinach.
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
lot
[lɒ̱t]
♦
lots
1) QUANT: QUANT of n 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 a lot 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.
Syn:
a great deal
PRON
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... I know a lot has been said about my sister's role in my career.
2) ADV: ADV after v, oft ADV compar 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) ADV: ADV after v 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 The Ivy...
He talks a lot about his own children.
4) N-COUNT: num N, oft N of n 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...
We've just sacked one lot of builders.
5) N-SING: adj N 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.
Syn:
bunch
6) N-SING: the N You can use the lot to refer to the whole of an amount that you have just mentioned. [INFORMAL]
Instead of paying his rent, he went to a betting shop and lost the lot in half an hour.
7) N-SING: usu with poss Your lot is the kind of life you have or the things that you have or experience.
She tried to accept her marriage as her lot in life but could not...
Young people are usually less contented with their lot.
8) N-COUNT A lot is a small area of land that belongs to a person or company. [AM]
→ See also parking lot
If oil or gold are discovered under your lot, you can sell the mineral rights.
9) N-COUNT 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.
10) PHRASE: V inflects If people draw lots to decide who will do something, they each take a piece of paper from a container. One or more pieces of paper is marked, and the people who take marked pieces are chosen.
Two names were selected by drawing lots...
For the first time in a World Cup finals, lots had to be drawn to decide who would finish second and third.
11) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n If you throw in your lot with a particular person or group, you decide to work with them and support them from then on, whatever happens.
He has decided to throw in his lot with the far-right groups in parliament.
Syn:
join forces with
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
lot
lot /ˈlɑːt/ noun, pl lots
1 [count]
a chiefly US : a small piece of land that is or could be used for building something or for some other purpose
• He bought the vacant/empty lot across the street.
• They own the house on the corner lot.
• a building lot
- see also parking lot
b : the buildings and land that are owned by a company that makes movies and television programs
• We took a tour of the Universal lot.
2 [count] : a small object used to choose the person who will do or receive something
✦When someone is chosen by lot or when people draw lots or (less commonly) cast lots to choose someone, each person in a group takes a small object or a piece of paper from a container. One of the objects or pieces of paper is different from the others, and the person who takes the different one is chosen.
• The winner was chosen by lot.
• We drew lots to determine the winner.
3 [singular] : a person's situation in life especially as decided by chance
• The organization has done much to improve the lot of underprivileged youth.
• Unhappy with her lot in life, she moved to the city to start over. synonyms seedestiny
4 informal
a [count] chiefly Brit : all the members of a group of people - usually singular
• Do you know the lot [=bunch, crowd] that hang around the arcade?
• That lot will never amount to anything! They're a thoroughly bad lot.
• Pipe down, the (whole) lot of you. = Pipe down, you lot.
✦In British English, a person who is not liked is sometimes described as a bad lot.
• He may be a bit wild, but he's not a bad lot once you get to know him.
b the lot : all the things of a group
• They sell tuxedos, business suits, casual wear…the lot.
• This one's the best of the lot.
5 [count] : one or more things being sold as one item at an auction
• Lot 45 is a dining room set.
- see also job lot
a lot
1 also (informal) lots : a large amount
• She has done a lot to help other people.
• I'd give a lot to be able to write like that!
• I'm not asking for a lot. [=much]
• They must have paid a lot for that car.
• We did quite a lot this morning.
• We still have a lot to do. = We still have lots (and lots) to do.
2 : very often
• Do they hike a lot?
• I've been seeing her a lot recently.
3
- used to say that you feel a particular emotion very strongly
• “Did you like the movie?” “Yes, I liked it a lot.” [=very much]
• I miss her a lot since she went away.
4 also (informal) lots : to a large degree or extent : much
• This is a lot nicer. [=this is much nicer]
• There's a lot more to it than I realized at first. [=it's more complicated than it looks]
• I'm feeling lots better.
• Thanks a lot. [=very much]
a lot of also (informal) lots of : a large number or amount of (things, people, etc.)
• A lot of people feel that way.
• There was a lot of space. = There was lots of space.
• We had lots of fun.
• You can enjoy yourself without spending a lot of money.
• I don't need a lot of help; I just need a little.
• We don't have an awful lot of money/time. [=we don't have much money/time]
• (informal) I think their ideas are a lot of garbage/nonsense. [=I think their ideas are very foolish]
• (informal) It doesn't make a whole lot of [=very much] difference.
• Not a lot of people [=not many people] know that.
• “I've brought an umbrella.” “A (fat) lot of good that will do [=that will not do any good] now that it's stopped raining!”
leave a lot to be desired
- see 1desire
throw in your lot with or cast your lot with : to join or become associated with a person, group, or thing that you hope will win or succeed
• During the American Civil War, my great-grandfather threw in his lot with the Confederacy/Union.
