pot
noun /pɒt/
/pɑːt/
Idioms 
enlarge image[countable] a deep round container used for cooking things in- pots and pans
- You'll need a large cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid.
Extra ExamplesTopics Cooking and eatingb1- Cook gently in a covered pot for 3–4 hours.
- He could hear the pot bubbling on the stove.
- Put all the ingredients in a large pot.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cooking
- cover
- stir
- boil
- bubble
- pie
- roast
- for the pot
- in a/the pot
- into a/the pot
- …
- pots and pans
enlarge image[countable] (especially British English) a container made of glass, clay or plastic, used for storing food in- a pot of jam
- a yoghurt pot
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- ceramic
- clay
- earthenware
- …
- grow something in
- plant something in
- fill
- …
- be filled with something
- be full of something
- contain something
- …
- plant
- in a/the pot
- into a/the pot
- pot of
- …
- [countable] (especially in compounds) a container of various kinds, made for a particular purpose
- a coffee pot
- a pencil pot
- Is there any more tea in the pot?
Extra ExamplesTopics Gardensb1- Plants in pots require more water than you might think.
- She filled the pot with boiling water.
- a clay pot full of oil
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- ceramic
- clay
- earthenware
- …
- grow something in
- plant something in
- fill
- …
- be filled with something
- be full of something
- contain something
- …
- plant
- in a/the pot
- into a/the pot
- pot of
- …
- [countable] the amount contained in a pot
- They drank a pot of coffee.
- I had such a craving for marmalade when I was pregnant that I ate a whole pot in one day.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- steaming
- fresh
- coffee
- …
- brew
- make
- put on
- …
- in a/the pot
- pot of
- [countable] a bowl, etc. that is made by a potter
- The newly made pots are glazed when they are completely dry.
- the pot[singular] (especially North American English) the total amount of money that is bet in a card game
- the pot[singular] (especially North American English) all the money given by a group of people in order to do something together, for example to buy food, or available for a particular purpose see also kitty, pension pot
- [uncountable] (informal) cannabis (= a drug (illegal in many countries) made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, which gives the person smoking it a feeling of being relaxed)
- pot smoking
- (also potshot)[countable] (informal) a shot that somebody fires without aiming carefully
- He took a pot at the neighbour's cat with his air rifle.
- [countable] (in the game of billiards, pool or snooker) the act of hitting a ball into one of the pockets around the edge of the tableTopics Sports: other sportsc2
- [countable] (informal) a pot belly (= a large stomach that sticks out)
for cooking
container
money
drug
shot
in billiards, etc.
stomach
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 7 and noun senses 10 to 11 late Old English pott, probably reinforced in Middle English by Old French pot; of unknown ultimate origin (compare with late Latin potus ‘drinking cup’). noun sense 8 1930s: probably from Mexican Spanish potiguaya ‘cannabis leaves’. noun sense 9 1950s: abbreviation of potshot.
Idioms
a crock/pot of gold
- a large prize or reward that somebody hopes for but is unlikely to get
go to pot
- (informal) to become much less good because people are not working hard or taking care of things
- Her handwriting's gone to pot since she started using a computer all the time.
in the melting pot
- (especially British English) likely to change; in the process of changing
the pot calling the kettle black
- (saying, informal) used to say that you should not criticize somebody for a fault that you have yourself
pot luck
- when you take pot luck, you choose something or go somewhere without knowing very much about it, but hope that it will be good, pleasant, etc.
- It's pot luck whether you get good advice or not.
- You're welcome to stay to supper, but you'll have to take pot luck (= eat whatever is available).
pots of money
- (British English, informal) a very large amount of money
put a quart into a pint pot
- (British English) to put something into a space that is too small for it
- Writing a history of the world in a single volume is like putting a quart into a pint pot.
a watched pot never boils
- (saying) used to say that when you are impatient for something to happen, time seems to pass very slowly