n. & v.
—n.
1 a vessel, usu. rounded, of ceramic ware or metal or glass for holding liquids or solids or for cooking in.
2 a a coffee-pot, flowerpot, glue-pot, jam-pot, teapot, etc. b = chimney-pot. c = lobster-pot.
3 a drinking vessel of pewter etc.
4 the contents of a pot (ate a whole pot of jam).
5 the total amount of the bet in a game etc.
6 colloq. a large sum (pots of money).
7 sl. a vessel given as a prize in an athletic contest, esp. a silver cup.
8 = pot-belly.
—v.tr. (potted, potting)
1 place in a pot.
2 (usu. as potted adj.) preserve in a sealed pot (potted shrimps).
3 sit (a young child) on a chamber pot.
4 pocket (a ball) in billiards etc.
5 shoot at, hit, or kill (an animal) with a pot shot.
6 seize or secure.
7 abridge or epitomize (in a potted version; potted wisdom).
Phrases and idioms:
go to pot colloq. deteriorate; be ruined. pot-bellied having a pot-belly. pot-belly (pl. -ies)
1 a protruding stomach.
2 a person with this.
3 a small bulbous stove.
pot-boiler
1 a work of literature or art done merely to make the writer or artist a living.
2 a writer or artist who does this. pot-bound (of a plant) having roots which fill the flowerpot, leaving no room to expand. pot cheese US cottage cheese. pot-herb any herb grown in a kitchen garden.
pot-hook
1 a hook over a hearth for hanging a pot etc. on, or for lifting a hot pot.
2 a curved stroke in handwriting, esp. as made in learning to write.
pot-hunter
1 a person who hunts for game at random.
2 a person who takes part in a contest merely for the sake of the prize. pot luck whatever (hospitality etc.) is available. pot of gold an imaginary reward; an ideal; a jackpot. pot pie a pie of meat etc. or fruit with a crust baked in a pot. pot plant a plant grown in a flowerpot. pot roast a piece of meat cooked slowly in a covered dish. pot-roast v.tr. cook (a piece of meat) in this way.
pot-shot
1 a random shot.
2 a shot aimed at an animal etc. within easy reach.
3 a shot at a game-bird etc. merely to provide a meal. pot-valiant courageous because of drunkenness. pot-valour this type of courage.
Derivatives:
potful n. (pl. -fuls).
Etymology: OE pott, corresp. to OFris., MDu., MLG pot, f. pop.L
2.
n. sl. marijuana.
Phrases and idioms:
pot-head one who smokes this.
Etymology: prob. f. Mex. Sp. potiguaya
3.
n. & v. Austral. & NZ
—n. a dropped goal in rugby football.
—v.tr. (potted, potting) score (a dropped goal).
Etymology: perh. f. pot-shot
Useful english dictionary. 2012.