job lot
C1Informal, Commercial
Definition
Meaning
A mixed collection of items sold or bought together as a single unit, often at a reduced price.
It can metaphorically refer to any diverse assortment of people or things grouped together, sometimes implying randomness or inferior quality.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a commercial/trading term. Carries a connotation of miscellaneousness and often (but not always) a bargain or lower quality.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used in both varieties but is slightly more common in British English, especially in auction contexts.
Connotations
In both, it suggests a mixed, non-curated batch. May imply 'odds and ends' or leftover stock.
Frequency
Moderately low frequency in both, but understood in commercial/trading contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to buy [something] as a job lota job lot of [items]sold in job lotsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[various] in a job lot (e.g., 'He solved all his problems in one job lot.')”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in retail, wholesale, auction, and liquidation to describe bulk sales of mixed goods.
Academic
Rare; might appear in economic or historical texts about trade.
Everyday
Used when buying/selling second-hand items, at car boot sales, or online marketplaces.
Technical
Specific term in auctioneering and inventory management.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They decided to job lot the remaining stock from the closing shop.
American English
- The warehouse job-lotted the unsold merchandise to a discount retailer.
adjective
British English
- It was a job-lot purchase from a house clearance.
American English
- He made a job-lot buy at the online auction site.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I bought a job lot of books for only £10.
- The market stall was selling a job lot of toys.
- The antique dealer acquired the entire contents of the attic as a job lot.
- We purchased the remaining stock job lot, so some items are damaged.
- The company liquidator sold the office furniture in job lots to clear space quickly.
- His argument was a job lot of half-truths and outdated statistics.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a JOB where you have to sort through a LOT of mixed-up items.
Conceptual Metaphor
ASSORTMENT IS A BUNDLED UNIT / MIXED QUALITY IS A BARGAIN
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'работа' (rabota - work/job). 'Job lot' is комбинированный лот, сборная партия, or перемешанная партия товара.
- Avoid direct translation as 'рабочий лот'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to refer to a single large item (e.g., 'I bought a job lot car').
- Confusing it with 'lot' in the sense of 'a plot of land'.
- Using in formal writing where 'assortment' or 'collection' would be better.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'job lot' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always, but it frequently carries that connotation because the items are mixed and sold in bulk, often to clear stock. The primary meaning is about the mixed nature of the batch.
Yes, but it's informal and often humorous or derogatory. E.g., 'The new committee is a right job lot of characters.' It treats the group as a random assortment.
A 'bulk purchase' simply means buying a large quantity of the SAME item. A 'job lot' specifically refers to buying a MIXED collection of different items together.
It is a standard term in specific commercial fields like auctions, wholesaling, and liquidation, but its register is generally informal. In formal reports, terms like 'mixed inventory lot' or 'assorted parcel' might be preferred.