scot
gb/skˈɑt/ us/skˈɑt/
B1
English
~ 8100
skót, helyi adó
NOUN
B1
1
skót
A2
Usage pattern:
a Scot from [a place]
As a Scot, she grew up hearing stories about the Highlands.
Skótként úgy nőtt fel, hogy sok történetet hallott a Skót-felföldről.
The film was made by a young Scot from Edinburgh.
A filmet egy Edinburgh-ból származó fiatal skót készítette.
He’s the first Scot to win that international prize.
Many Scots live and work in London today.
Every Scot I met there was incredibly friendly.
Learner examples
He is a Scot from Glasgow.
Ő egy Glasgow-ból származó skót.
The singer is a famous Scot.
Az énekes híres skót.
Many Scots speak with a strong accent.
She is a Scot, but she lives in Canada now.
I met a friendly Scot on the train.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'Scot', 'Scottish', and 'Scotch'. Use 'Scot' as a noun for a person (e.g., 'He is a Scot'), 'Scottish' as an adjective (e.g., 'Scottish music'), and avoid 'Scotch' for people, as it is old-fashioned or offensive in this meaning and is now mainly used for whisky (e.g., 'a glass of Scotch'). Another common mistake is using 'a Scottish' without a noun (e.g., 'He is a Scottish'); it should be 'He is Scottish' (adjective) or 'He is a Scot' (noun).
Meaning
a person from Scotland
Collocations
proud Scot
|young Scot
|fellow Scot
|Scot from Glasgow
|Scot living abroad
Synonyms
Scottish person (More explicit and slightly longer; often used in careful or formal speech.)
|
Scotsman (Traditionally refers to a male Scot; now sometimes seen as a bit old-fashioned.)
|
Scotswoman (Specifically a female Scot; less common than gender‑neutral 'Scot'.)
Antonyms
non-Scottish person (General term for someone who is not from Scotland.)
Themes
people
|geography
|culture
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Definition
A person who comes from Scotland.
A person who is from Scotland or of Scottish nationality.
NOUN
C2
ARCHAIC
2
helyi adó
B1
Usage pattern:
pay scot and lot to [a town]
Only those who paid scot and lot were allowed to vote in the borough elections.
A városi választásokon csak azok szavazhattak, akik megfizették a helyi adókat és közterheket.
The record shows that every householder in the parish contributed to the annual scot.
A feljegyzés szerint a plébánia minden háztartásfője befizette az éves helyi adót.
In medieval towns, failure to pay your scot could mean losing certain civic rights.
He traced his ancestor in a list of men liable for church scot in the seventeenth century.
The phrase 'scot and lot' referred to both local taxes and the shared duties of town life.
Learner examples
In the past, people had to pay a scot to the town.
Régen az embereknek helyi adót kellett fizetniük a városnak.
Only men who paid scot and lot could vote in some old English towns.
Egyes régi angol városokban csak azok a férfiak szavazhattak, akik megfizették a helyi közterheket.
The word scot now sounds old and is used mainly in history books.
The king ordered a new scot to pay for the war.
A list of names showed who paid the parish scot.
Common mistake:
Modern learners usually meet this word only inside set phrases like 'scot and lot' or in explanations of the idiom 'scot-free'. It should not be used for modern taxes in everyday English.
Meaning
an old type of tax or payment
Collocations
scot and lot
|pay scot and lot
|parish scot
|town scot
Synonyms
tax (Modern general word; 'scot' was a specific historical local tax.)
|
levy (Formal term for money officially demanded; overlaps with the historical idea of 'scot'.)
Antonyms
exemption (Refers to being officially free from paying a tax or charge, the opposite of owing a 'scot'.)
Themes
history
|law
|finance
Definition
An old word for a tax or money that people had to pay to their town or local area.
An old term for a local tax, rate, or payment owed to a town, parish, or community, especially in medieval and early modern Britain.
Grammar
Dictionary form
scot
IPA
GB/skˈɑt/
US/skˈɑt/
Syllables & stress
scot (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (scot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: scot
- Plural: scots
Word family
Forms
scots
noun
Core family
scotland
proper noun
scottish
adjective
Advanced or less common
Expressions
get off scot-free
1/ɡˈɛt ˈɔf skˈɑt fɹˈi/
idiom
escape without being punished
To receive no punishment or bad result, even though you did something wrong or caused a problem.
Examples
- He lied to his boss but got off scot-free.
- The driver got off scot-free because there wasn’t enough evidence.
- They were surprised that the team got off scot-free after breaking the rules.
go scot-free
1/ɡˈoʊ skˈɑt fɹˈi/
idiom
remain completely unpunished
To not be punished at all after doing something wrong.
Examples
- People were furious to see the corrupt officials go scot-free.
- If you let him go scot-free, others will think the rules don’t matter.
- She went scot-free despite her part in the fraud.
scot and lot
1/skˈɑt ˈænd lˈɑt/
fixed phrase
archaic
historical local tax and duties
An old phrase for the local taxes and duties that people in some British towns had to pay and share, especially in the past.
Examples
- In many boroughs, the right to vote was limited to those who paid scot and lot.
- The term 'scot and lot' covered both local tax payments and certain shared civic responsibilities.
- Historians often use parish records of scot and lot to study who lived in a town.
scot-free
1/skˈɑt fɹˈi/
idiom
without any punishment or penalty
Not punished or hurt at all, even though you did something wrong or caused a problem.
Examples
- Many people were angry that the company seemed to get away scot-free after the accident.
- He broke the rules but left the meeting scot-free.
- They were caught cheating, so they didn’t go scot-free this time.