1
a
: a usually rounded metal or earthen container used chiefly for domestic purposes (as in cooking or for holding liquids or growing plants)
also
: any of various technical or industrial vessels or enclosures resembling or likened to a household pot
the pot of a still
b
: potful
a pot of coffee
2
: an enclosed framework of wire, wood, or wicker for catching fish or lobsters
3
a
: a large amount (as of money)
b(1)
: the total of the bets at stake at one time
(2)
: one round in a poker game
c
: the common fund of a group
4
: potshot
5
: potbelly
6
: ruin
gone to pot
7
British
: a shot in snooker in which a ball is pocketed
8
potted; potting
1
a
: to place in a pot
b
: to pack or preserve (something, such as cooked and chopped meat) in a sealed pot, jar, or can often with aspic
2
: to shoot with a potshot
3
: to make or shape (earthenware) as a potter
4
: to embed (something, such as electronic components) in a container with an insulating or protective material (such as plastic)
: to take a potshot
1
potential
2
potentiometer
Synonyms
Examples of pot in a Sentence
Noun (1)
everyone got a bit nervous when the pot grew to more than a hundred dollars
made a pot of money in the real estate market
vowed that he would never get a pot, that telltale sign of middle age
Verb
She spent the afternoon potting tulip bulbs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Amazon has a three-burner food warmer with removable nonstick inner pots for easy cleanup.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 8 Nov. 2024
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
Fertilize potted camellias with a water-soluble fertilizer for acid-loving plants according to label
directions from spring through mid-summer.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pot 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes do not need much water to reproduce and tend to lay eggs just above the water line in small, artificial sources of water, like buckets, pet dishes, fountains and bird baths, plant pots and saucers and old tires.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Amazon has a three-burner food warmer with removable nonstick inner pots for easy cleanup.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
Repotting with fresh potting mix helps replenish the soil and nutrients around the roots.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
Fertilize potted camellias with a water-soluble fertilizer for acid-loving plants according to label
directions from spring through mid-summer.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pot
Dictionary Entries Near pot
Cite this Entry
“Pot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pot. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pot
1 of 3 noun1
a
: a deep rounded container for household purposes
cooking pot
b
: the quantity held by a pot
a pot of tea
2
: an enclosed trap for catching fish or lobsters
3
a
: a large quantity or sum
b
: the total of the bets at stake at one time
4
: ruin entry 1 sense 1
business went to pot
pot
2 of 3 verb
potted; potting
1
: to preserve in a sealed pot, jar, or can
2
: to plant or grow in a pot
pot
3 of 3 nounEtymology
Noun
perhaps from Mexican Spanish potiguaya "marijuana"
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