portion
/ˈpɔːʃ(ə)n
/noun
1A part of a whole: a portion of the jetty still stands he could repeat large portions of Shakespeare...
- The analysis of data is based on a portion of the whole survey.
- It's much nicer to be on a brightly lit television set with an entertainer for a judge in front of you, and the whole nation or a portion of the nation with nothing better to do watching.
- But when modern societies abolished the stigmas on illegitimacy, divorce, and all the rest, whole portions of the social structure just caved in.
Synonyms
part, piece, bit, section, chunk, segment, slice, fragment;
wedge, lump, slab, hunk, parcel, tranche
British informal wodge
1.1A part of something divided between people; a share: she wanted the right to decide how her portion of the allowance should be spent...
- The Parish is being divided up and portions are being allocated to Salthill, St. Joseph's and the Claddagh Parishes.
- The stake to be floated will be divided into four equal portions and will be put for sale in different sessions.
- The project is divided into different portions, individually tendered and contracted.
Synonyms
share, slice, quota, part, bit, percentage, amount, quantity, ration, piece, fraction, division, subdivision, allocation, allotment, measure, apportionment
informal cut, whack, rake-off
rare quantum, moiety
1.2An amount of food suitable for or served to one person: a portion of ice cream burger joints offering huge portions...
- But, to be honest, I've grown to enjoy only eating at proper meal-times and then to eat sensible size portions of more suitable foods.
- Do you like hearty Southern Italian food served in huge portions?
- Obviously, we load up on all the wrong things: favourite foods, huge portions, too many sweets, too many drinks, and too much sitting around.
Synonyms
helping, serving, amount, quantity, piece;
plateful, bowlful
1.3 Law The part or share of an estate given or descending by law to an heir.Similarly the same calculation will be done for the elected portion of the Inherited Estate....
- Some couples pledged to bequeath a portion of their estates, however modest, to an adopted son or daughter.
- Philippa left you a residuary portion of her estate.
1.4 (also marriage portion) archaic A dowry given to a bride at her marriage: he’ll marry her fast enough when he knows the sum of her portion...
- She appointed a local attorney, claimed her marriage portion in full and placed a charge on an Iranian property in which the Husband had an inherited share.
- With these premises undergirding the plot, Restoration rake-heroes can spend four acts committing every imaginable offense and still be rewarded with the virtuous heroine and her marriage portion before the curtain closes.
- Some years later Belott quarrelled with his father-in-law and brought the lawsuit alleging that Mountjoy had broken promises to pay a marriage portion of £60 and to leave his daughter £200 in his will.
2 archaic A person’s destiny or lot: what will be my portion?
Synonyms
destiny, lot, fate, fortune, luck, kismet;
what is written in the stars
archaic dole, cup, heritage
verb [with object]
1Divide (something) into parts and share out: for centuries meadowland with common hay rights was portioned out...
- Whatever the specifics of his will, they're irrelevant to us until my mother's estate is portioned out.
- For me, that sounds like an exercise in very carefully portioning my focus - especially if Jake doesn't know many of the other people present very well.
- Why not portion it out over a couple of releases?
Synonyms
share out, allocate, apportion, distribute, hand out, deal out, dole out, give out, dish out, parcel out, divide out, allot, dispense, measure out, mete out
informal divvy up
1.1 (usually as adjective, with submodifier portioned) Serve (food) in an amount suitable for one person: generously portioned lunches...
- Soups seem to be particularly good, and on a previous occasion I had some superb, and generously portioned, wild mushroom broth.
- Those same homemade tortellini reappear in a thick cream sauce, modestly portioned but immodestly rich.
- Abalone dressed with chilli, sweetish vinegar and served with melon and jellyfish was relatively impressive if cautiously portioned.
1.2 archaic Give a dowry to (a bride): my parents will portion me most handsomely
Origin
Middle English: from Old French porcion, from Latin portio(n-), from the phrase pro portione 'in proportion'.