A lot is a large amount or a great number of something. When your teacher assigns a lot of homework, she's giving you much more than usual. When you have a lot of friends, you have many people who care about you. The word emphasizes quantity: plenty or abundance.

The word can also mean a piece of land with defined boundaries. An empty lot might be a grassy area between buildings where kids play baseball. A parking lot is a paved area designed for cars. When developers buy a lot, they're purchasing a specific parcel of land where they plan to build something. In old towns, you might hear addresses like “the corner lot” or “the lot next to the post office.”

Lot has another meaning too: your circumstances or situation in life. When people talk about their lot in life, they mean the conditions or circumstances they were born into or currently face. A character in a story might accept her lot with grace, meaning she faces her situation with dignity rather than complaining.

The word appears in many common phrases. Drawing lots means choosing randomly, like picking straws to see who goes first. Casting your lot with someone means joining their cause or group. To throw in your lot with others means committing yourself to their shared goal or fate, for better or worse.