portage
noun
the act of carrying; carriage.
portage
1 American
[pawr-tij, pohr-, pawr-tahzh]
/ ˈpɔr tɪdʒ, ˈpoʊr-, pɔrˈtɑʒ /
noun
-
the act of carrying; carriage.
-
the carrying of boats, goods, etc., overland from one navigable water to another.
-
the route over which this is done.
-
the cost of carriage.
verb (used without object)
portaged,
portaging
verb (used with object)
portaged,
portaging
Portage
2
American
[pawr-tij, pohr-]
/ ˈpɔr tɪdʒ, ˈpoʊr- /
noun
-
a city in SW Michigan.
-
a town in NW Indiana.
portage
British
/ pɔrtaʒ, ˈpɔːtɪdʒ /
noun
-
the act of carrying; transport
-
the cost of carrying or transporting
-
the act or process of transporting boats, supplies, etc, overland between navigable waterways
-
the route overland used for such transport
verb
Etymology
Origin of portage
1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French; see port 5, -age
Explanation
Portage is a payment, usually to the captain or owner of a boat, for carrying cargo. A portage is also a bridge between two waterways. A business that sells goods to many parts of the world will probably pay portage at some point: a fee to a boat for carrying cargo. This is a bit of an old-fashioned word, and it mainly applies to boats (which you can remember from the word port: a place where boats dock). Also, a portage is a bridge-like track built on land that links waterways such as rivers. The purpose of that portage is also to transport goods.
Vocabulary lists containing portage
Tolkien Reading Day, List 5
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The Boys in the Boat
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Orphan Train
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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.
Yates said he came up with the idea of a marathon portage to raise awareness about the lack of water in this part of the river, and invited several friends and acquaintances to join him.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2025
“With a barge, if you have a closure at a lock and dam it is not like canoeing or kayaking where you can portage around the obstacle. River transit will close,” he said.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2022
If you don’t need quite as much power and portage, Satechi sells a 66W three USB-C port charger for $55.
From The Verge • Jan. 7, 2022
The Indian Agency House was built along the portage route between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers in 1832 to house agent John H. Kinzie and his wife, Juliette.
From Washington Times • Aug. 1, 2020
While the camaradas built the portage and Kermit looked for Simplicio, Rondon set off with his dog, Lobo, to hunt for game and Brazil nuts.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
