lion's share

noun

1. the largest part or share, especially a disproportionate portion.

   The eldest son received the lion's share of the estate.

lion's share

1. A disproportionately large segment of the whole: “Though we always divided our winnings, somehow Barton always seemed to end up with the lion's share.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of lion's share¹

First recorded in 1780–90; probably after Aesop's fable in which the lion claimed all the spoils of a hunt

Idioms and Phrases

The greater part or most of something, as in Whenever they won a doubles match, Ethel claimed the lion's share of the credit, or As usual, Uncle Bob took the lion's share of the cake. This expression alludes to Aesop's fable about a lion, who got all of a kill because its fellow hunters, an ass, fox, and wolf, were afraid to claim their share. [Late 1700s]