(lots)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
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.'...
He drank lots of milk...
A lot of the play is very funny.
QUANT: QUANT of n
•
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.
PRON
2.
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.
ADV: ADV after v, oft ADV compar
3.
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.
ADV: ADV after v
4.
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.
N-COUNT: num N, oft N of n
5.
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.
= bunch
N-SING: adj N
6.
You can use the lot to refer to the whole of an amount that you have just mentioned. (INFORMAL)
Instead of using the money to pay his rent, he went to a betting shop and lost the lot in half an hour.
N-SING: the N
7.
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...
N-SING: usu with poss
8.
A lot is a small area of land that belongs to a person or company. (AM)
If oil or gold are discovered under your lot, you can sell the mineral rights.
N-COUNT
9.
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...
N-COUNT
10.
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.
For the first time in a World Cup finals, lots had to be drawn to decide who would finish second and third.
PHRASE: V inflects
11.
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.
= join forces with
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n