/ pɒt; NAmE pɑːt/ noun , verb
■ noun
FOR COOKING
1.
[ C ] a deep round container used for cooking things in :
pots and pans
CONTAINER
2.
[ C ] ( especially BrE ) a container made of glass, clay or plastic, used for storing food in :
a pot of jam
a yogurt pot
3.
[ C ] (especially in compounds) a container of various kinds, made for a particular purpose :
a coffee pot
a pepper pot
a teapot
Is there any more tea in the pot?
—see also chamber pot , chimney pot , flowerpot , lobster pot , melting pot , potted
4.
[ C ] the amount contained in a pot :
They drank a pot of coffee.
5.
[ C ] a bowl, etc. that is made by a potter
MONEY
6.
the pot [ sing. ] ( especially NAmE ) the total amount of money that is bet in a card game
7.
the pot [ sing. ] ( especially NAmE ) all the money given by a group of people in order to do sth together, for example to buy food
—see also kitty
DRUG
8.
[ U ] ( informal ) = marijuana :
pot smoking
SHOT
9.
[ C ] = potshot :
He took a pot at the neighbour's cat with his air rifle.
IN BILLIARDS, etc.
10.
[ C ] ( in the game of billiards , pool or snooker ) the act of hitting a ball into one of the pockets around the edge of the table
STOMACH
11.
[ C ] ( informal ) = pot belly
•
IDIOMS
- go to pot
- the pot calling the kettle black
- pot luck
- pots of money
—more at gold noun , melting pot , quart , watch verb
■ verb
( -tt- ) [ vn ]
PLANT
1.
to put a plant into a flowerpot filled with soil
IN BILLIARDS, etc.
2.
( in the games of billiards , pool and snooker ) to hit a ball into one of the pockets (= holes at the corners and edges of the table)
SYN pocket :
He potted the black to take a 7–3 lead.
SHOOT
3.
to kill an animal or a bird by shooting it
—see also potted
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 1 to 7 and noun senses 10 to 11 verb late Old English pott , probably reinforced in Middle English by Old French pot ; of unknown ultimate origin (compare with late Latin potus drinking cup). Current senses of the verb date from the early 17th cent.
noun sense 8 1930s: probably from Mexican Spanish potiguaya cannabis leaves.
noun sense 9 1950s: abbreviation of potshot .