PORTION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does portion mean? 

• PORTION (noun)
  The noun PORTION has 7 senses:

1. something determined in relation to something that includes it

2. something less than the whole of a human artifact

3. the allotment of some amount by dividing something

4. assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

5. your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

6. money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage

7. an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

  Familiarity information: PORTION used as a noun is common.

• PORTION (verb)
  The verb PORTION has 1 sense:

1. give out

  Familiarity information: PORTION used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PORTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something determined in relation to something that includes it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

component; component part; constituent; part; portion

Context example:

the animal constituent of plankton

Hypernyms ("portion" is a kind of...):

relation (an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portion"):

base; basis (the most important or necessary part of something)

subpart (a part of a part)

balance; remainder; residual; residue; residuum; rest (something left after other parts have been taken away)

member (anything that belongs to a set or class)

unit (an individual or group or structure or other entity regarded as a structural or functional constituent of a whole)

detail; item; particular (a small part that can be considered separately from the whole)

butt (the part of a plant from which the roots spring or the part of a stalk or trunk nearest the roots)

item; point (a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list)

language unit; linguistic unit (one of the natural units into which linguistic messages can be analyzed)

substance (the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists)

Holonyms ("portion" is a part of...):

meronymy; part to whole relation (the semantic relation that holds between a part and the whole)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something less than the whole of a human artifact

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

part; portion

Context example:

glue the two parts together

Hypernyms ("portion" is a kind of...):

object; physical object (a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portion"):

appendage (a part that is joined to something larger)

wreckage (the remaining parts of something that has been wrecked)

upstairs (the part of a building above the ground floor)

upstage (the rear part of the stage)

turnout; widening (a part of a road that has been widened to allow cars to pass or park)

toe ((golf) the part of a clubhead farthest from the shaft)

backbone; spine (the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved)

shank; waist (the narrow part of the shoe connecting the heel and the wide part of the sole)

section; segment (one of several parts or pieces that fit with others to constitute a whole object)

seat (a part of a machine that supports or guides another part)

pressing (a metal or plastic part that is made by a mechanical press)

piece (a separate part of a whole)

peen (the part of a hammerhead opposite the flat striking surface (may have various shapes))

neck (a narrow part of an artifact that resembles a neck in position or form)

limb (either of the two halves of a bow from handle to tip)

hub (the central part of a car wheel (or fan or propeller etc) through which the shaft or axle passes)

bit (the part of a key that enters a lock and lifts the tumblers)

bottleneck (the narrow part of a bottle near the top)

bulb (a rounded part of a cylindrical instrument (usually at one end))

butt; stub (the small unused part of something (especially the end of a cigarette that is left after smoking))

component; constituent; element (an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system)

cutout (a part that is cut out or is intended to be cut out)

foible (the weaker part of a sword's blade from the forte to the tip)

fore edge; foredge (the part of a book that faces inward when the book is shelved; the part opposite the spine)

forte (the stronger part of a sword blade between the hilt and the foible)

fraction (a small part or item forming a piece of a whole)

heel ((golf) the part of the clubhead where it joins the shaft)

jetsam (the part of a ship's equipment or cargo that is thrown overboard to lighten the load in a storm)

Holonyms ("portion" is a part of...):

unit; whole (an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The allotment of some amount by dividing something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

parcel; portion; share

Context example:

death gets more than its share of attention from theologians

Hypernyms ("portion" is a kind of...):

allocation; allotment; apportioning; apportionment; assignation; parceling; parcelling (the act of distributing by allotting or apportioning; distribution according to a plan)

Derivation:

portion (give out)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

part; percentage; portion; share

Context example:

he wanted his share in cash

Hypernyms ("portion" is a kind of...):

assets (anything of material value or usefulness that is owned by a person or company)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portion"):

allocation; allotment (a share set aside for a specific purpose)

cut (a share of the profits)

profit sharing (a system in which employees receive a share of the net profits of the business)

interest; stake ((law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something)

split (a promised or claimed share of loot or money)

piece; slice (a share of something)

ration (a fixed portion that is allotted (especially in times of scarcity))

way (a portion of something divided into shares)

dole (a share of money or food or clothing that has been charitably given)

dispensation (a share that has been dispensed or distributed)

tranche (a portion of something (especially money))

allowance (an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period))

Holonyms ("portion" is a part of...):

earnings; lucre; net; net income; net profit; profit; profits (the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

circumstances; destiny; fate; fortune; lot; luck; portion

Context example:

success that was her portion

Hypernyms ("portion" is a kind of...):

condition (a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portion"):

good fortune; good luck; luckiness (an auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes)

providence (a manifestation of God's foresightful care for his creatures)

bad luck; ill luck; misfortune; tough luck (an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes)

failure (lack of success)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

dower; dowery; dowry; portion

Hypernyms ("portion" is a kind of...):

gift (something acquired without compensation)

Sense 7

Meaning:

An individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

helping; portion; serving

Context example:

there's enough for two servings each

Hypernyms ("portion" is a kind of...):

small indefinite amount; small indefinite quantity (an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude)

Meronyms (parts of "portion"):

mouthful; taste (a small amount eaten or drunk)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portion"):

oyster (a small muscle on each side of the back of a fowl)

libation (a serving (of wine) poured out in honor of a deity)

drink (a single serving of a beverage)

round; round of drinks (a serving to each of a group (usually alcoholic))

piece; slice (a serving that has been cut from a larger portion)

parson's nose; pope's nose (the tail of a dressed fowl)

wing (the wing of a fowl)

breast; white meat (meat carved from the breast of a fowl)

second joint; thigh (the upper joint of the leg of a fowl)

drumstick (the lower joint of the leg of a fowl)

medallion (a circular helping of food (especially a boneless cut of meat))

Holonyms ("portion" is a part of...):

meal; repast (the food served and eaten at one time)

• PORTION (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they portion    ... he / she / it portions   
Past simple: portioned   
Past participle: portioned   
-ing form: portioning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give out

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

allot; assign; portion

Context example:

We were assigned new uniforms

Hypernyms (to "portion" is one way to...):

administer; allot; deal; deal out; dish out; dispense; distribute; dole out; lot; mete out; parcel out; shell out (administer or bestow, as in small portions)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "portion"):

allow; appropriate; earmark; reserve; set aside (give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause)

allocate; apportion (distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

portion (the allotment of some amount by dividing something)

 Context examples 

She had called certain portions of his work beautiful, and that was the first encouragement he had ever received from any one.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Hans refused to go near Dennin, and Edith was forced to conduct this portion of the investigation by herself.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

But a portion of this knowledge was quickly to be his.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I explored some portion of this huge cliff, but I was unable to find any way to scale it.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

What, with the largest portion of your mind—sentiments—tastes?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

A single portion of fish could provide half of a child’s recommended dose of iron and zinc, and nearly all the calcium it needs.

(Fairer fish trade could fix nutrient deficiencies in coastal countries, SciDev.Net)

They found that portions of the swan-like shape were not all created at the same time, but took shape over multiple eras of star formation.

(SOFIA Reveals How the Swan Nebula Hatched, NASA)

Dr Mujcic found participants were at their happiest when they ate five portions of fruit and four portions of vegetables each day.

(Fruit and veggies pave the road to happiness, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The central and spongy portion of the bone.

(Medullary Bone, NCI Thesaurus)

Denoting the front portion of the body or a structure.

(Anterior, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)