portion
a part of any whole, either separated from or integrated with it: I read a portion of the manuscript.
an amount of food served for one person; serving; helping: He took a large portion of spinach.
the part of a whole allotted to or belonging to a person or group; share.
the part of an estate that goes to an heir or a next of kin.
Literary. something that is allotted to a person by God or fate.
(especially formerly) the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband at marriage; dowry.
to divide into or distribute in portions or shares (often followed by out).
to furnish with a portion, as with an inheritance or a dowry: All of his children have been amply portioned.
to provide with a lot or fate: She was portioned with sorrow throughout her life.
Origin of portion
1synonym study For portion
Other words for portion
Opposites for portion
Other words from portion
- por·tion·a·ble, adjective
- por·tion·less, adjective
- re·por·tion, verb (used with object)
- un·por·tion·a·ble, adjective
- un·por·tioned, adjective
Words that may be confused with portion
- portion , potion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use portion in a sentence
You can do everything from portioning steaks to a basil chiffonade with it.
It was dreadful to see the anxiety with which they watched the portioning of the thick heavy hunks of black bread.
The Dark Forest | Hugh WalpoleBequests for the portioning of poor girls and virtuous servant-maids are, indeed, not at all uncommon.
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 436 | VariousShe held a half-burned paper in her hand; Dr. Jallup stood near the bed, portioning out some calomel and quinine.
Birthright | T.S. StriblingPortioning off the estates into divisions of equal size is a system to be much recommended.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom | P. L. Simmonds
Fancy tigers dividing a carcase, and portioning each his fair lot!
British Dictionary definitions for portion
/ (ˈpɔːʃən) /
a part of a whole; fraction
a part allotted or belonging to a person or group
an amount of food served to one person; helping
law
a share of property, esp one coming to a child from the estate of his parents
the property given by a woman to her husband at marriage; dowry
a person's lot or destiny
to divide up; share out
to give a share to (a person); assign or allocate
law to give a dowry or portion to (a person); endow
Origin of portion
1Derived forms of portion
- portionless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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