- [countable, uncountable] the series of events that form the story of a novel, play, film, etc.
- It's hard to follow the plot of the film.
- plot about something a conventional plot about love and marriage
- The book is well organized in terms of plot.
- Plot twists (= unexpected developments) keep you guessing throughout the series.
Collocations LiteratureLiteratureBeing a writer- write/publish literature/poetry/fiction/a book/a story/a poem/a novel/a review/an autobiography
- become a writer/novelist/playwright
- find/have a publisher/an agent
- have a new book out
- edit/revise/proofread a book/text/manuscript
- dedicate a book/poem to…
- construct/create/weave/weave something into a complex narrative
- advance/drive the plot
- introduce/present the protagonist/a character
- describe/depict/portray a character (as…)/(somebody as) a hero/villain
- create an exciting/a tense atmosphere
- build/heighten the suspense/tension
- evoke/capture the pathos of the situation
- convey emotion/an idea/an impression/a sense of…
- engage the reader
- seize/capture/grip the (reader’s) imagination
- arouse/elicit emotion/sympathy (in the reader)
- lack imagination/emotion/structure/rhythm
- use/employ language/imagery/humour/(US English) humor/an image/a symbol/a metaphor/a device
- use/adopt/develop a style/technique
- be rich in/be full of symbolism
- evoke images of…/a sense of…/a feeling of…
- create/achieve an effect
- maintain/lighten the tone
- introduce/develop an idea/a theme
- inspire a novel/a poet/somebody’s work/somebody’s imagination
- read an author/somebody’s work/fiction/poetry/a text/a poem/a novel/a chapter/a passage
- review a book/a novel/somebody’s work
- give something/get/have/receive a good/bad review
- be hailed (as)/be recognized as a masterpiece
- quote a(n) phrase/line/stanza/passage/author
- provoke/spark discussion/criticism
- study/interpret/understand a text/passage
- translate somebody’s work/a text/a passage/a novel/a poem
Extra ExamplesTopics Film and theatreb1, Literature and writingb1- She has constructed a complicated plot, with a large cast of characters.
- The main plot revolves around a suspicious death.
- There are several unexpected twists in the plot before the murderer is revealed.
- This car chase does nothing to advance the plot.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- simple
- complex
- complicated
- …
- construct
- advance
- give away
- …
- develop
- unfold
- involve
- …
- development
- twist
- device
- …
- a twist in the plot
- a twist of the plot
- [countable] a secret plan made by a group of people to do something wrong or illegal synonym conspiracy
- He had been the victim of an elaborate murder plot.
- plot to do something The rebels hatched a plot to overthrow the government.
- plot against somebody Police uncovered a plot against the president.
- They had taken part in a Jacobite plot against William III.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- evil
- fiendish
- alleged
- …
- hatch
- uncover
- foil
- …
- plot against
- plot by
- [countable] a small piece of land that is used or intended for a special purpose
- She bought a small plot of land to build a house on.
- a vegetable plot
Synonyms landlandlot ▪ ground ▪ space ▪ plotThese words all mean an area of land that is used for a particular purpose.land an area of ground, especially one that is used for a particular purpose:- agricultural land
- building lots
- a parking lot
- The kids were playing on waste ground near the school.
- the site of an ancient burial ground
- The city has plenty of open space.
- the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies
- She bought a small plot of land to build a house.
- a vegetable plot
- an open space
- open/empty/vacant/waste/derelict land/ground
- a/an empty/vacant lot/plot
Extra ExamplesTopics Buildingsc2- The plots each measure 10 metres by 20 metres.
- They own a five-acre plot of land.
- He was buried in the family plot at the cemetery.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- garden
- vegetable
- farm
- …
- work
- measure something
- a plot of land
Word Originlate Old English (in sense 3 of the noun), of unknown origin. The sense ‘secret plan’, dating from the late 16th cent., is associated with Old French complot ‘dense crowd, secret project’, the same word being used occasionally in English from the mid 16th cent.
Idioms
See plot in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee plot in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishlose the plot
- (British English, informal) to lose your ability to understand or deal with what is happening
the plot thickens
- (humorous) used to say that a situation is becoming more complicated and difficult to understand
Check pronunciation:
plot