to cast lots

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Lot \Lot\ (l[o^]t), n. [AS. hlot; akin to hle['i]tan to cast
   lots, OS. hl[=o]t lot, D. lot, G. loos, OHG. l[=o]z, Icel.
   hlutr, Sw. lott, Dan. lod, Goth. hlauts. Cf. {Allot},
   {Lotto}, {Lottery}.]
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   1. That which happens without human design or forethought;
      chance; accident; hazard; fortune; fate.
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            But save my life, which lot before your foot doth
            lay.                                  --Spenser.
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   2. Anything (as a die, pebble, ball, or slip of paper) used
      in determining a question by chance, or without man's
      choice or will; as, to cast or draw lots.
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            The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole
            disposing thereof is of the Lord.     --Prov. xvi.
                                                  33.
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            If we draw lots, he speeds.           --Shak.
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   3. The part, or fate, which falls to one, as it were, by
      chance, or without his planning.
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            O visions ill foreseen! Each day's lot's
            Enough to bear.                       --Milton.
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            He was but born to try
            The lot of man -- to suffer and to die. --Pope.
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   4. A separate portion; a number of things taken collectively;
      all objects sold in a single purchase transaction; as, a
      lot of stationery; -- colloquially, sometimes of people;
      as, a sorry lot; a bad lot.
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            I, this winter, met with a very large lot of English
            heads, chiefly of the reign of James I. --Walpole.
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   5. A distinct portion or plot of land, usually smaller than a
      field; as, a building lot in a city.
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            The defendants leased a house and lot in the city of
            New York.                             --Kent.
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   6. A large quantity or number; a great deal; as, to spend a
      lot of money; to waste a lot of time on line; lots of
      people think so. [Colloq.]
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            He wrote to her . . . he might be detained in London
            by a lot of business.                 --W. Black.
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   7. A prize in a lottery. [Obs.] --Evelyn.
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   {To cast in one's lot with}, to share the fortunes of.

   {To cast lots}, to use or throw a die, or some other
      instrument, by the unforeseen turn or position of which,
      an event is by previous agreement determined.

   {To draw lots}, to determine an event, or make a decision, by
      drawing one thing from a number whose marks are concealed
      from the drawer.

   {To pay scot and lot}, to pay taxes according to one's
      ability. See {Scot}.
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from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Cast \Cast\ (k[.a]st), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cast}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Casting}.] [Cf. Dan. kaste, Icel. & Sw. kasta; perh. akin
   to L. {gerere} to bear, carry. E. jest.]
   1. To send or drive by force; to throw; to fling; to hurl; to
      impel.
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            Uzziah prepared . . . slings to cast stones. --2
                                                  Chron. xxvi.
                                                  14.
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            Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. --Acts.
                                                  xii. 8.
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            We must be cast upon a certain island. --Acts.
                                                  xxvii. 26.
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   2. To direct or turn, as the eyes.
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            How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me! --Shak.
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   3. To drop; to deposit; as, to cast a ballot.
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   4. To throw down, as in wrestling. --Shak.
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   5. To throw up, as a mound, or rampart.
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            Thine enemies shall cast a trench [bank] about thee.
                                                  --Luke xix.
                                                  48.
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   6. To throw off; to eject; to shed; to lose.
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            His filth within being cast.          --Shak.
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            Neither shall your vine cast her fruit. --Mal. iii.
                                                  11
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            The creatures that cast the skin are the snake, the
            viper, etc.                           --Bacon.
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   7. To bring forth prematurely; to slink.
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            Thy she-goats have not cast their young. --Gen. xxi.
                                                  38.
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   8. To throw out or emit; to exhale. [Obs.]
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            This . . . casts a sulphureous smell. --Woodward.
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   9. To cause to fall; to shed; to reflect; to throw; as, to
      cast a ray upon a screen; to cast light upon a subject.
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   10. To impose; to bestow; to rest.
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             The government I cast upon my brother. --Shak.
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             Cast thy burden upon the Lord.       --Ps. iv. 22.
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   11. To dismiss; to discard; to cashier. [Obs.]
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             The state can not with safety cast him.
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   12. To compute; to reckon; to calculate; as, to cast a
       horoscope. "Let it be cast and paid." --Shak.
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             You cast the event of war, my noble lord. --Shak.
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   13. To contrive; to plan. [Archaic]
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             The cloister . . . had, I doubt not, been cast for
             [an orange-house].                   --Sir W.
                                                  Temple.
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   14. To defeat in a lawsuit; to decide against; to convict;
       as, to be cast in damages.
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             She was cast to be hanged.           --Jeffrey.
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             Were the case referred to any competent judge, they
             would inevitably be cast.            --Dr. H. More.
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   15. To turn (the balance or scale); to overbalance; hence, to
       make preponderate; to decide; as, a casting voice.
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             How much interest casts the balance in cases
             dubious!                             --South.
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   16. To form into a particular shape, by pouring liquid metal
       or other material into a mold; to fashion; to found; as,
       to cast bells, stoves, bullets.
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   17. (Print.) To stereotype or electrotype.
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   18. To fix, distribute, or allot, as the parts of a play
       among actors; also to assign (an actor) for a part.
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             Our parts in the other world will be new cast.
                                                  --Addison.
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   {To cast anchor} (Naut.) See under {Anchor}.

   {To cast a horoscope}, to calculate it.

   {To cast a} {horse, sheep}, or other animal, to throw with
      the feet upwards, in such a manner as to prevent its
      rising again.

   {To cast a shoe}, to throw off or lose a shoe, said of a
      horse or ox.

   {To cast aside}, to throw or push aside; to neglect; to
      reject as useless or inconvenient.

   {To cast away}.
       (a) To throw away; to lavish; to waste. "Cast away a
           life" --Addison.
       (b) To reject; to let perish. "Cast away his people."
           --Rom. xi. 1. "Cast one away." --Shak.
       (c) To wreck. "Cast away and sunk." --Shak.

   {To cast by}, to reject; to dismiss or discard; to throw
      away.

   {To cast down}, to throw down; to destroy; to deject or
      depress, as the mind. "Why art thou cast down. O my soul?"
      --Ps. xiii. 5.

   {To cast forth}, to throw out, or eject, as from an inclosed
      place; to emit; to send out.

   {To cast in one's lot with}, to share the fortunes of.

   {To cast in one's teeth}, to upbraid or abuse one for; to
      twin.

   {To cast lots}. See under {Lot}.

   {To cast off}.
       (a) To discard or reject; to drive away; to put off; to
           free one's self from.
       (b) (Hunting) To leave behind, as dogs; also, to set
           loose, or free, as dogs. --Crabb.
       (c) (Naut.) To untie, throw off, or let go, as a rope.

   {To cast off copy}, (Print.), to estimate how much printed
      matter a given amount of copy will make, or how large the
      page must be in order that the copy may make a given
      number of pages.

   {To cast one's self on} or {To cast one's self upon} to yield
      or submit one's self unreservedly to, as to the mercy of
      another.

   {To cast out}, to throw out; to eject, as from a house; to
      cast forth; to expel; to utter.

   {To cast the lead} (Naut.), to sound by dropping the lead to
      the bottom.

   {To cast the water} (Med.), to examine the urine for signs of
      disease. [Obs.].

   {To cast up}.
       (a) To throw up; to raise.
       (b) To compute; to reckon, as the cost.
       (c) To vomit.
       (d) To twit with; to throw in one's teeth.
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