plot

To conceive (a crime, misdeed etc).

Noun

  1. The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
    • If the plot or intrigue must be natural, and such as springs from the subject, then the winding up of the plot must be a probable consequence of all that went before. - c. 1725, Alexander Pope, View of the Epic Poem:

    Synonyms: storyline

  2. An area or land used for building on or planting on.

    Synonyms: parcel

  3. A grave.
    • He's buried in the family plot.
  4. A graph or diagram drawn by hand or produced by a mechanical or electronic device.
    • I was told to fly out on a vector of 100 degrees to meet a strong plot of aircraft 30 miles from the coast. - 2017, Mark Chambers, Tony Holmes, Nakajima B5N ‘Kate’ and B6N ‘Jill’ Units, page 32:

    Synonyms: scheme chart design diagram map graph graphic plan plot schematic

  5. A secret plan to achieve an end, the end or means usually being illegal or otherwise questionable.
    • The plot would have enabled them to get a majority on the board.
    • The assassination of Lincoln was part of a larger plot.
    • I have o'erheard a plot of death. - c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...

    Synonyms: conspiracy intrigue machination scheme

  6. Contrivance; deep reach thought; ability to plot or intrigue.
    • a man of much plot - a. 1669, John Denham, On Mr Thomas Killigrew's Return from Venice, and Mr William Murrey's from Scotland:
  7. Participation in any stratagem or conspiracy.
    • And when Christ saith, Who marries the divorced commits adultery, it is to be understood, if he had any plot in the divorce. - 1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas]...
  8. A plan; a purpose.
    • no other plot in their religion but serve God and save their souls - 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:

    Synonyms: design blueprint plan plot project proposal scheme

  9. Attractive physical attributes of a fictional character; assets.
    • Actor X has some great plot near the end of E07.

Origin

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.

Forms

plots

Derived

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 counterplot doghouse plot dotplot emplot Fermi-Kurie plot forest plot funnel plot grass plot

Verb

  1. To conceive (a crime, misdeed etc).
    • They had plotted a robbery.
    • They were plotting against the king.
  2. To trace out (a graph or diagram).
    • They plotted the number of edits per day.
  3. To mark (a point on a graph, chart, etc).
    • Every five minutes they plotted their position.
    • This treatise plotteth down Cornwall as it now standeth. - 1602, Richard Carew, Survey on Cornwall:

Forms

plots plotting plotted

Synonyms

becast connive lot

Derived

coplot counterplot lose to plot misplot outplot overplot plot out plottable plotter replot underplot