lot

Lot is a term with several distinct meanings across literature, geography, and everyday use.

In the Hebrew Bible, Lot is a figure associated with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He is described as the nephew of Abraham who lived in that region. According to Genesis, divine judgment fell on the cities, and Lot and his two daughters survived, though his wife became a pillar of salt. His descendants through his daughters are traditionally identified as the Moabites and Ammonites. The story of Lot is one of the more frequently cited narratives about hospitality, morality, and divine intervention in ancient texts.

In real estate and land use, a lot is a defined parcel of land intended for development or sale. A lot has boundaries and legal descriptions that distinguish it from neighboring properties. In urban planning, lots are subdivided to create building sites. The term is also used in auctions to denote a single item or a group of items sold together, as in “lot 5.”

Geographically, Lot refers to a department in southwestern France, within the Occitanie region, named after the Lot River that runs through it. The department’s capital is Cahors, and its landscape includes medieval towns, limestone valleys, and tributaries of the river.

Other uses include Lot as a surname or given name, and the verb phrase to cast lots, historically used to make decisions by chance. The word also appears in phrases such as “a lot” meaning many or a large number.