English Explanatory Dictionary

plot

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
  2. An area or land used for building on or planting on.
  3. A grave.
  4. A graph or diagram drawn by hand or produced by a mechanical or electronic device.
  5. A secret plan to achieve an end, the end or means usually being illegal or otherwise questionable.
  6. Contrivance; deep reach thought; ability to plot or intrigue.
  7. Participation in any stratagem or conspiracy.
  8. A plan; a purpose.
  9. Attractive physical attributes of a fictional character; assets.
verb
  1. To conceive (a crime, misdeed etc).
  2. To trace out (a graph or diagram).
  3. To mark (a point on a graph, chart, etc).

Pronunciation

/plɒt/ /plɑt/ /pläʔ/ /plä/ en-us-plot.ogg

Word forms

plot plots plotting plotted

Etymology

From Middle English plot, plotte, from Old English plot (“a plot of ground”), from Proto-Germanic *plataz, *platjaz (“a patch”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Middle Low German plet (“patch, strip of cloth, rags”), German Bletz (“rags, bits, strip of land”), and possibly Gothic 𐍀𐌻𐌰𐍄 (plat, “a patch, rags”). See also plat. See also complot for an influence on or source of noun sense 5. Noun sense 9 is a back-formation from for the plot.

Synonyms

storyline parcel scheme chart design diagram map graph graphic plan plot schematic conspiracy intrigue machination blueprint project proposal lot connive becast

Derived words

addle-plot A plot applot Ashby plot bagplot barplot beach ball plot beanplot bioplot biplot blobplot box and whisker plot box and whiskers plot box plot B plot by-plot doghouse plot dotplot emplot Fermi-Kurie plot forest plot funnel plot grass plot green plot Gunpowder Plot heat plot jitterplot Joy plot karyoplot Kurie plot line plot lose the plot macroplot marplot metaplot microplot mosaic plot multiplot plot armor plot armour plot bunny plot coupon plot device plotful plotholder plotholding plot hole plotland plotless plotlet plotline plot line plot point plotproof plottage plot thickens the plot thickens plot twist plot-twisty plotty
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