Sentence:  `` A <WSD>lot</WSD> of people are so peculiar that they do n't like cats , it 's not the easiest thing in the world to find good homes for kittens - and , damn it , you know very well if I have them around long , impossible to give them away ! 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent