plot

[ plot ]

/ plɒt /

noun

a secret plan or scheme to accomplish some purpose, especially a hostile, unlawful, or evil purpose: a plot to overthrow the government.

Also called storyline. the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story.

a small piece or area of ground: a garden plot; burial plot.

a measured piece or parcel of land: a house on a two-acre plot.

a plan, map, diagram, or other graphic representation, as of land, a building, etc.

a list, timetable, or scheme dealing with any of the various arrangements for the production of a play, motion picture, etc.: According to the property plot, there should be a lamp stage left.

a chart showing the course of a craft, as a ship or airplane.

Artillery. a point or points located on a map or chart: target plot.

verb (used with object), plot·ted, plot·ting.

to plan secretly, especially something hostile or evil: to plot mutiny.

to mark on a plan, map, or chart, as the course of a ship or aircraft.

to draw a plan or map of, as a tract of land or a building.

to divide (land) into plots.

to determine and mark (points), as on plotting paper, by means of measurements or coordinates.

to draw (a curve) by means of points so marked.

to represent by means of such a curve.

to devise or construct the plot of (a play, novel, etc.).

to prepare a list, timetable, or scheme of (production arrangements), as for a play or motion picture: The stage manager hadn't plotted the set changes until one day before the dress rehearsal.

to make (a calculation) by graph.

verb (used without object), plot·ted, plot·ting.

to plan or scheme secretly; form a plot; conspire.

to devise or develop a literary or dramatic plot.

to be marked or located by means of measurements or coordinates, as on plotting paper.

Origin of plot

before 1100; (noun) of multiple orig.: in sense “piece of ground,” Middle English: small area, patch, stain, piece of ground, Old English: piece of ground (origin obscure); in senses “ground plan, outline, map, scheme,” variant (since the 16th century) of plat¹, itself partly a variant of Middle English, Old English plot; sense “secret plan” (from 16th century) by association with complot, in pejorative sense; (v.) derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR plot

1 intrigue, cabal.

9 brew, hatch, frame.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR plot ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for plot

1. See conspiracy. 19. Plot, conspire, scheme imply secret, cunning, and often unscrupulous planning to gain one's own ends. To plot is to contrive a secret plan of a selfish and often treasonable kind: to plot against someone's life. To conspire is to unite with others in an illicit or illegal machination: to conspire to seize a government. To scheme is to plan ingeniously, subtly, and often craftily for one's own advantage: to scheme how to gain power.

OTHER WORDS FROM plot

plot·ful, adjective plot·less, adjective plot·less·ness, noun out·plot, verb (used with object), out·plot·ted, out·plot·ting.

o·ver·plot, verb, o·ver·plot·ted, o·ver·plot·ting. pre·plot, verb (used with object), pre·plot·ted, pre·plot·ting. re·plot, verb (used with object), re·plot·ted, re·plot·ting. un·plot·ted, adjective un·plot·ting, adjective well-plot·ted, adjective

Words nearby plot

plonko, plook, plop, plosion, plosive, plot, plot line, plot thickens, the, plotinian, plotinism, plotinus

Example sentences from the Web for plot

They were able to purchase weapons and plot attacks on the island without much interference.

Of Cuban Spies, a Baby, and a Filmmaker: The Strange Tale of the Cuban Five |Nina Strochlic |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The plot was a string of anecdotes from the senseless shootings of friends that Brinsley knew.

Alleged Cop Killer’s Blood-Soaked Screenplay |M.L. Nestel |December 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A 1907 contract leases the plot of land to the Belgika corporation for five years, but it stayed for much longer.

The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway |Nina Strochlic |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
They double down on the plot device of a lone visionary opposed by conventional hierarchies.

Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius? |Clive Irving |December 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

So filmmakers usually resort to a plot device to compensate for this absence.

Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius? |Clive Irving |December 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
That cannot be proved unless you volunteer as a witness, and give away the whole vile story of the plot to abduct Miss Maynard.

A Traitor's Wooing |Headon Hill
The secret correspondence connected with the Waller plot passed through his hands.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 |Various
He was implicated in a plot against the Kings life, and was one of the seven prisoners set free on the 14th of July.

Legends of the Bastille |Frantz Funck-Brentano
The whole arrangement of that part of the plot is admirable.

Olla Podrida |Frederick Marryat (AKA Captain Marryat)
He thought it possible that, as he had said, at the last moment the plot might by some means or other be discovered.

The Cat of Bubastes |G. A. Henty

British Dictionary definitions for plot (1 of 2)

plot ¹

/ (plɒt) /

noun

a secret plan to achieve some purpose, esp one that is illegal or underhand a plot to overthrow the government

the story or plan of a play, novel, etc

military a graphic representation of an individual or tactical setting that pinpoints an artillery target

mainly US a diagram or plan, esp a surveyor's map

lose the plot informal to lose one's ability or judgment in a given situation

verb plots, plotting or plotted

to plan secretly (something illegal, revolutionary, etc); conspire

(tr) to mark (a course, as of a ship or aircraft) on a map

(tr) to make a plan or map of

to locate and mark (one or more points) on a graph by means of coordinates
to draw (a curve) through these points

(tr) to construct the plot of (a literary work)

Word Origin for plot

C16: from plot ², influenced in use by complot

British Dictionary definitions for plot (2 of 2)

plot ²

/ (plɒt) /

noun

a small piece of land a vegetable plot

verb plots, plotting or plotted

(tr) to arrange or divide (land) into plots

Word Origin for plot

Old English: piece of land, plan of an area

Cultural definitions for plot

plot

The organization of events in a work of fiction.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

plot

noun

verb (used with object), plot·ted, plot·ting.

verb (used without object), plot·ted, plot·ting.

Origin of plot

SYNONYMS FOR plot

synonym study for plot

OTHER WORDS FROM plot

Words nearby plot

Example sentences from the Web for plot

British Dictionary definitions for plot (1 of 2)

noun

verb plots, plotting or plotted

Word Origin for plot

British Dictionary definitions for plot (2 of 2)

noun

verb plots, plotting or plotted

Word Origin for plot

Cultural definitions for plot

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

plot

noun

verb (used with object), plot·ted, plot·ting.

verb (used without object), plot·ted, plot·ting.

Origin of plot

SYNONYMS FOR plot

synonym study for plot

OTHER WORDS FROM plot

Words nearby plot

Words related to plot

Example sentences from the Web for plot

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for plot (1 of 2)

noun

verb plots, plotting or plotted

Word Origin for plot

British Dictionary definitions for plot (2 of 2)

noun

verb plots, plotting or plotted

Word Origin for plot

Cultural definitions for plot

British Dictionary definitions for plot (1 of 2)