porridge
Americannoun
noun
-
a dish made from oatmeal or another cereal, cooked in water or milk to a thick consistency
-
slang a term in prison (esp in the phrase do porridge )
Other Word Forms
- porridgelike adjective
Etymology
Origin of porridge
1525–35; variant of earlier poddidge, akin to pottage
Compare meaning
How does porridge compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Porridge is a thick, warm type of food similar to oatmeal. It's often a breakfast food. When you boil oats in milk or water, the end result of porridge. Porridge is served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon. It’s usually served for breakfast and is famous for appearing in the fairy tale of Goldilocks. Porridge is the food that's too hot, too cold, and then just right.
Vocabulary lists containing porridge
"The Tempest," Vocabulary from Acts 1 and 2
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Sideways Stories from Wayside School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They sit in similar registers — closer to porridge than broth, a texture that my brain immediately interprets as nourishing.
From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026
Videos of people sprinkling chia seeds on top of porridge and nutritionists lauding the benefits of red kidney beans and chickpeas are filling up people's TikTok feeds.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
The sweet spot is the humble old-fashioned rolled oat: the platonic ideal of porridge texture.
From Salon • Nov. 13, 2025
Aspinall usually eats porridge for breakfast, alongside a couple of protein shakes which include peanut butter and blueberries, which can top 1,000 calories.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025
Every boy dipped his cup into the porridge and drank.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
