From Middle English plot, plotte, from late Old English plot (“a plot of ground”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *plataz, *platjaz (“a patch”); or alternatively, perhaps from a rebracketing of Old English land-splott (“small portion, or plot, of ground”) taken as landes-plot (“plot of land”). Compare Middle Low German plet (“patch, strip of cloth, rags”), German Bletz (“rags, bits, strip of land”), and possibly Gothic 𐍀𐌻𐌰𐍄 (plat, “a patch, rags”). See also plat. See also complot for an influence and reinforcement of noun sense 8. Noun sense 12 is a back-formation from for the plot.
Human sciences, Linguistics, Narratology, Sciences The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
If the plot or intrigue must be natural, and such as springs from the subject, then the winding up of the plot must be a probable consequence of all that went before.c. 1725, Alexander Pope, View of the Epic Poem:
2
An area or land used for building on or planting on.
3
A grave.
He's buried in the family plot.
4
A ground plan, map; a nautical chart.
5
A sketch or outline detailing the arrangement of something; a plan.
6
A synopsis of a literary work.
7
A graph or diagram drawn by hand or produced by a mechanical or electronic device.
I was told to fly out on a vector of 100 degrees to meet a strong plot of aircraft 30 miles from the coast.2017, Mark Chambers, Tony Holmes, Nakajima B5N ‘Kate’ and B6N ‘Jill’ Units, page 32:
8
A secret plan to achieve an end, the end or means usually being illegal or otherwise questionable.
The plot would have enabled them to get a majority on the board.
The assassination of Lincoln was part of a larger plot.
2 more examples
I have o'erheard a plot of death.c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vi]:
O, think what anxious moments pass between / The birth of plots and their last fatal periods!1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iii, page 8:
9
Contrivance; deep reach thought; ability to plot or intrigue.
a man of much plota. 1669, John Denham, On Mr Thomas Killigrew's Return from Venice, and Mr William Murrey's from Scotland:
10
Participation in any stratagem or conspiracy.
And when Christ saith, Who marries the divorced commits adultery, it is to be understood, if he had any plot in the divorce.1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC:
11
A plan; a purpose.
no other plot in their religion but serve God and save their souls1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:
12
LifestyleEuphemistic, Slang Attractive physical attributes of a fictional character; assets.
From Middle English plot, plotte, from late Old English plot (“a plot of ground”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *plataz, *platjaz (“a patch”); or alternatively, perhaps from a rebracketing of Old English land-splott (“small portion, or plot, of ground”) taken as landes-plot (“plot of land”). Compare Middle Low German plet (“patch, strip of cloth, rags”), German Bletz (“rags, bits, strip of land”), and possibly Gothic 𐍀𐌻𐌰𐍄 (plat, “a patch, rags”). See also plat. See also complot for an influence and reinforcement of noun sense 8. Noun sense 12 is a back-formation from for the plot.
1
To conceive (a crime, misdeed etc).
They had plotted a robbery.
They were plotting against the king.
2
To trace out (a graph or diagram).
They plotted the number of edits per day.
3
To mark (a point on a graph, chart, etc).
Every five minutes they plotted their position.
This treatise plotteth down Cornwall as it now standeth.1602, Richard Carew, Survey on Cornwall: