pot
pot — verb
1. to hunt birds or other small animals with a gun, or to fire a quick shot at a ta
to hunt birds or other small animals with a gun, or to fire a quick shot at a target without much aiming.
At dawn, the brothers potted rabbits near the stone wall.
transitive: pot + animal
From the boat, Jake potted ducks rising off the lake.
Angry boys potted at cans behind the empty barn after school.
intransitive: pot at + target
Without aiming long, Mara potted at the bottle on the fence.
- pot rabbits
- pot ducks
- pot at cans
- pot at a bottle
- shoot
the broad neutral verb for firing a gun
- hunt
stresses going after animals, not the shot itself
- take a shot at
informal phrase that often suggests one quick attempt
Grammar Patterns
pot + bird/small animal
pot at + target
Usage Note
Direct object is usually a bird or small animal. With 'at', the target can be a person or thing, and the idea is a quick shot rather than careful aiming.
Common Mistakes
2. in snooker, pool, and similar games, to send a ball into a pocket around the tab
in snooker, pool, and similar games, to send a ball into a pocket around the table.
Lena potted the black ball and won the club final.
pot + ball
From a sharp angle, the yellow was potted by Grace.
passive: be potted
A lucky bounce helped Noah pot the green into the corner pocket.
pot + ball into + pocket
The white ball stopped dead after Mia potted the red.
On the last turn, our captain potted two balls in a row.
- pot the black ball
- pot the red
- pot into the corner pocket
- pot two balls in a row
- miss
to fail to send the ball into the pocket
Grammar Patterns
pot + ball
pot + ball into + pocket
Usage Note
Object is the ball that goes into the pocket, often named by color or number. Common in snooker and pool, and often followed by words showing the pocket or angle.
Common Mistakes
3. to give a plant its own container for growing.
to give a plant its own container for growing.
Ella potted the mint in a clay bowl by the window.
pot + plant in + container
After the rain, Dad potted three tomato plants behind the shed.
At school, the children potted beans in old yogurt cups.
The gardener potted the rose cutting before the market opened.
By noon, six young herbs were potted for the sale.
passive: be potted for sale
- pot mint
- pot tomato plants
- pot a rose cutting
- pot herbs for sale
- plant
broader everyday verb that is not limited to containers
- repot
specifically means moving a plant to a different pot
- transplant
broader gardening verb for moving a plant to a new place
Grammar Patterns
pot + plant
pot + plant in/into + container
Usage Note
Object is usually a live plant, cutting, or seedling, not the container. Gardeners often add 'in' or 'into' before the pot, bucket, or tray.
Common Mistakes
pot — noun
1. A deep container, often metal, for preparing meals or heating water.
A deep container, often metal, for preparing meals or heating water.
A black pot of soup cooked on the stove all afternoon.
collocation: pot of soup
Grandma lifted the hot pot off the stove with a thick towel.
After washing rice, Ken filled the pot with water for dinner.
pattern: fill the pot with water
Steam rose from the pot when the noodles started to boil.
- pot of soup
- hot pot
- fill the pot
- boil in a pot
Grammar Patterns
pot of soup
fill the pot with water
cook in a pot
Usage Note
Usually used for something heated on a stove or fire. Distinguish from sense 2, which is mainly about storing something rather than cooking it.
Common Mistakes
2. A small jar or similar container used for keeping food, cream, or liquid in.
A small jar or similar container used for keeping food, cream, or liquid in.
Lina kept sugar in a glass pot beside the tea cups.
keep something in a pot
The baby cream comes in a white pot with a blue lid.
pot with a lid
At the market, Eva bought a small pot of honey.
collocation: pot of honey
There was a pot of yogurt in each school lunch box.
- glass pot
- pot with a lid
- pot of honey
- pot of yogurt
Grammar Patterns
pot of honey
pot with a lid
keep something in a pot
Usage Note
Often used for small round containers sold with food, skin cream, or similar products. Distinguish from sense 1, which is for cooking, and sense 3, which is for plants.
3. A container filled with soil where a plant is grown.
A container filled with soil where a plant is grown.
A cactus grew in a red pot by the kitchen window.
pattern: grow in a pot
Ben moved the pot outside so the basil could get more sun.
Broken brick pieces lay at the bottom of the pot.
bottom of the pot
The cat knocked the pot off the step and spilled soil.
- red pot
- move the pot
- bottom of the pot
- spill soil from the pot
Grammar Patterns
grow in a pot
move the pot
bottom of the pot
Usage Note
Often appears with plant words such as soil, roots, water, or sunlight. Distinguish from sense 5, where 'pot' is part of a compound container name such as 'coffee pot'.
Common Mistakes
4. As much as one pot can contain.
As much as one pot can contain.
One pot of coffee was enough for the whole office.
one pot of coffee = amount
At breakfast, Dad drank a whole pot by himself.
a whole pot
At the dim sum shop, we ordered two pots of tea for ten people.
two pots of tea = amount ordered
Half a pot was left after the guests went home.
half a pot
- one pot of coffee
- a whole pot
- two pots
- half a pot
Grammar Patterns
one pot of coffee
a whole pot
half a pot
Usage Note
Usually appears with numbers or amount words such as 'one', 'two', 'whole', or 'half'. Distinguish from senses 1 and 2, which name the container itself.
5. Used after another noun to form the name of a container for a particular use or
Used after another noun to form the name of a container for a particular use or contents.
This coffee pot keeps the drink hot for three hours.
compound noun: coffee pot
Mia washed the jam pot and used it for paper clips.
compound noun: jam pot
A blue paint pot sat open on the classroom floor.
compound noun: paint pot
The old tea pot has a crack near the handle.
- coffee pot
- jam pot
- paint pot
- tea pot
Grammar Patterns
coffee pot
jam pot
paint pot
Usage Note
Used after another noun, often showing what the container holds or what it is for. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers to one separate container rather than the word-building pattern.
6. A bowl, jar, or similar object shaped from clay and baked hard.
A bowl, jar, or similar object shaped from clay and baked hard.
On the shelf stood a clay pot with a rough brown surface.
collocation: clay pot
The museum displayed pots made by village artists a hundred years ago.
pots made by hand
Rosa shaped a simple pot in her first pottery class.
pattern: shape a pot
A cracked pot lay beside the old brick oven.
- clay pot
- rough surface
- shape a pot
- cracked pot
- vessel
broader word for any container, not only one made from clay
- earthenware
focuses on the clay material rather than one single object
- bowl
can name the shape, but a bowl is not always handmade clay
Grammar Patterns
clay pot
shape a pot
pots made by hand
Usage Note
Common in art, history, or craft contexts, especially when the material or maker matters. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about everyday kitchen use rather than the handmade object.
7. a very large quantity, especially of money that is available to use.
a very large quantity, especially of money that is available to use.
The school won a pot of money to build a new library.
a pot of money
There is still a pot of cash for local art projects.
there is a pot of cash for [purpose]
The team used up a big pot of grant money by June.
A pot of emergency money helped families after the storm.
- pot of money
- pot of cash
- grant pot
- emergency pot
- small amount
much less money or quantity
Grammar Patterns
a pot of money
a pot of cash
there is a pot of money for [purpose]
Usage Note
Usually appears in the pattern 'a pot of money/cash/funding' when talking about a sizeable amount ready to be spent. Distinguish from sense 8, where the money is gathered into one shared pool or bet.
Common Mistakes
8. money collected together in one place, either for a group's shared use or as the
money collected together in one place, either for a group's shared use or as the total bet in a game.
Each player added ten dollars, and the pot reached eighty.
betting pot in a card game
We kept a lunch pot for tea, fruit, and paper cups.
shared pot for a group
After the quiz night, the winners split the whole pot.
split the pot
The office pot paid for noodles during the late shift.
- add to the pot
- split the pot
- office pot
- lunch pot
Grammar Patterns
add to the pot
split the pot
the office pot
Usage Note
Often follows 'the' when everyone already knows which shared money is meant. Distinguish from sense 7: this sense is one pooled fund, not just any large amount.
Common Mistakes
9. a small toilet bowl that a young child uses before moving to a normal toilet.
a small toilet bowl that a young child uses before moving to a normal toilet.
Ella sat on the pot before bed and smiled proudly.
sit on the pot
Dad rinsed the blue pot after Noah used it.
wash or rinse the pot
The travel pot fit under the back seat of the car.
At nursery, each child has a name tag on the pot.
- sit on the pot
- training pot
- travel pot
- plastic pot
- potty
very common family word for the same object
- child's toilet
clear descriptive phrase
Grammar Patterns
sit on the pot
use the pot
wash the pot
Usage Note
Mostly heard in family talk about babies and toilet training. Many speakers also say 'potty', especially when speaking to children.
Common Mistakes
10. an informal word for the drug cannabis.
an informal word for the drug cannabis.
The police found pot in a bag under the driver's seat.
informal drug noun
Jared was fired after bringing pot into the restaurant kitchen.
The film shows two brothers arguing over a bag of pot.
a bag of pot
Her son admitted he had been smoking pot with friends.
smoking pot
- smoke pot
- bag of pot
- carry pot
- find pot
Grammar Patterns
smoke pot
bag of pot
find pot
Usage Note
Informal and usually uncountable. Common with verbs such as 'smoke', 'carry', 'find', or 'sell', and often used in news or casual speech rather than legal writing.
Common Mistakes
11. a round belly that sticks out noticeably in front of the body.
a round belly that sticks out noticeably in front of the body.
By fifty, Uncle Ray had a round pot under his shirt.
have a pot
In the wedding photo, Dad is slim and has no pot at all.
with no pot at all
Mr Lee's pot pressed against the table when he leaned forward.
After months of swimming, Ben's pot got much smaller.
- have a pot
- round pot
- pot under his shirt
- big pot
- flat stomach
a stomach that does not stick out
Grammar Patterns
have a pot
round pot
pot under [clothing]
Usage Note
Informal and usually singular, often about a man's stomach showing through his clothes. Many speakers prefer the fuller form 'pot belly'.
Common Mistakes
12. used in the fixed phrase 'go to pot' for a condition where a place or system is
used in the fixed phrase 'go to pot' for a condition where a place or system is left uncared for and becomes much worse.
The old cinema went to pot after the owner moved away.
go to pot = become neglected
Without repairs, the farm buildings have gone to pot.
have gone to pot
The club will go to pot if no one leads it.
Since the flood, that riverside park has really gone to pot.
- go to pot
- have gone to pot
- let the place go to pot
- go to pot after years of neglect
- improvement
a change toward a better state
Grammar Patterns
go to pot
have gone to pot
let [place/system] go to pot
Usage Note
Almost only used in the fixed phrase 'go to pot'. It usually describes buildings, organizations, or systems that are becoming badly managed or uncared for.
Common Mistakes
13. a shot where a player sends a ball down a pocket in snooker, pool, and similar g
a shot where a player sends a ball down a pocket in snooker, pool, and similar games.
Nina's long pot into the corner pocket won the final frame.
collocation: long pot into the corner pocket
The crowd cheered when Marcus made a difficult pot from mid-table.
pattern: make a pot
After that easy pot, Sarah lined up the black ball.
One clean pot gave the young player enough points to lead.
Lina missed two shots, then made a calm pot into the middle pocket.
contrast: miss shots, then make a pot
- make a pot
- miss a pot
- easy pot
- long pot
- pot into the corner pocket
- miss
a shot that does not send the ball into a pocket
Usage Note
Common with verbs like 'make' and 'miss', and often followed by the pocket named, as in 'a pot into the corner pocket'. Distinguish from verb sense 2, where 'pot' is the action word used with a direct object.
Common Mistakes
a crock/pot of gold
idiomA reward or prize that someone hopes to get but probably will not.
Maya dreamed of finding a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Winning the lottery is just a pot of gold for most people.
go to pot
idiomTo become much worse because of neglect or lack of effort.
The garden went to pot after Sara stopped watering it.
If you don't practice, your piano skills will go to pot.
in the melting pot
idiomIn a state of change where the final result is not yet known.
Our vacation plans are still in the melting pot.
The company's future is in the melting pot after the merger.
Used to say that someone criticizes another for a fault they have themselves.
Diego laughed at my messy desk, which was the pot calling the kettle black.
When she scolded him for being late, it was the pot calling the kettle black.
pot luck
idiomTaking a chance on something without knowing if it will be good.
We decided to take pot luck and try the new restaurant.
It's pot luck whether you get a window seat on the bus.
pots of money
idiomA very large amount of money.
Brian made pots of money selling his software company.
She inherited pots of money from her grandmother.
To try to fit something into a space that is too small.
Fitting all the furniture into that tiny room is like putting a quart into a pint pot.
Trying to summarize the novel in one page is putting a quart into a pint pot.
When you wait impatiently for something, time seems to pass more slowly.
I kept checking the clock, but a watched pot never boils.
Waiting for exam results feels like a watched pot never boils.
pot — abbreviation
1. written short form of 'potential', used in notes, reports, and quick evaluations
written short form of 'potential', used in notes, reports, and quick evaluations for future ability, growth, or possible success.
The scout marked Eva as a player with pot. for the national team.
pot. = potential in scouting notes
On Noah's report card, the teacher wrote high pot. in red ink.
abbreviation in written evaluation notes
The report says this plan has little pot. without more money.
A coach saw real pot. in Mia's quick footwork.
The sales chart shows more pot. in smaller towns this year.
common context: reports and charts
- high pot.
- real pot.
- little pot.
- show pot.
Usage Note
Mainly appears in notes, reports, and evaluations, often after words such as 'high', 'real', or 'little'. In ordinary prose and speech, people usually use the full word 'potential'.
Common Mistakes
2. written short form of 'potentiometer', an electrical part that you turn or slide
written short form of 'potentiometer', an electrical part that you turn or slide to change resistance or control things such as volume or speed.
The repair note says the left volume pot. needs replacing.
collocation: volume pot.
Leo turned the pot. slowly until the radio sounded clear.
turn a pot. to adjust a device
Dad cleaned the scratchy pot. inside the old guitar amp.
The guide shows where the pot. goes on the circuit board.
A small pot. controls the speed of the classroom fan.
technical label in device diagrams
- volume pot.
- turn the pot.
- replace the pot.
- scratchy pot.
- potentiometer
the full technical word; clearer in formal writing
- control knob
less exact; names the part you turn, not the electrical component itself
Usage Note
Common in repair notes, wiring guides, and diagrams, often with words such as 'volume', 'tone', or 'trim'. Spell out 'potentiometer' in general writing when readers may not know the technical short form.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For noun sense 1, pot is the broad everyday word for a deep cooking container. Pan is wider in meaning and often suggests something shallower, especially for frying. Saucepan usually means a smaller cooking pot with a long handle, so it is more specific than pot. Kettle is mainly for boiling water, not for general cooking. Container is much broader and can be any box, jar, or vessel, so it does not suggest heat or cooking by itself. A pot of soup can sit on the stove for hours, but you would usually fry eggs in a pan and boil tea water in a kettle. If you only mean a general object that holds something, use container instead.
Common collocations
Nouns
- pot of soup
- pot of honey
- pot of money
- flower pot
- coffee pot
Phrases
- fill the pot
- add to the pot
- go to pot
Prepositions
- in a pot
- into a pot
- out of the pot
Etymology
The main noun goes back to late Old English pott, alongside Old French pot, both part of a wider family of words for a round container, probably linked with Vulgar Latin *pottus. The deeper origin is uncertain. From the container sense, English later developed uses for planting, shared or bet money, and fixed phrases such as go to pot. The hunting and gardening verbs grew from the noun, while the cannabis sense is much newer and probably came through Spanish potiguaya. The abbreviation senses are modern shortenings of potential and potentiometer.