Library / English Dictionary

PORTION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The allotment of some amount by dividing something

Example:

death gets more than its share of attention from theologians

Synonyms:

parcel; portion; share

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

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 2

Meaning:

Something less than the whole of a human artifact

Example:

glue the two parts together

Synonyms:

part; portion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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"):

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

appendage (a part that is joined to something larger)

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

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

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Example:

there's enough for two servings each

Synonyms:

helping; portion; serving

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

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"):

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)

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

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

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)

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

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

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

dower; dowery; dowry; portion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

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

gift (something acquired without compensation)

Sense 5

Meaning:

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

Example:

he wanted his share in cash

Synonyms:

part; percentage; portion; share

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

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)

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

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))

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 6

Meaning:

Something determined in relation to something that includes it

Example:

the animal constituent of plankton

Synonyms:

component; component part; constituent; part; portion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

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"):

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)

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

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 7

Meaning:

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

Example:

success that was her portion

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

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)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give out

Example:

We were assigned new uniforms

Synonyms:

allot; assign; portion

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

This was a portion of Sacred Wafer, which he put in an envelope and handed to me.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

A fusion gene that results from a chromosomal translocation t(X;2)(q11;p23) which fuses most of the coding sequence of the MSN gene with the 3' portion of the ALK gene.

(MSN/ALK Fusion Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

The portion of the body that lies between the thorax and the pelvis.

(Abdominal Cavity, NCI Thesaurus)

A rare neural tube defect during pregnancy, resulting in the absence of a large portion of the brain and skull in the fetus.

(Anencephaly, NCI Thesaurus)

The external portion of any anatomic structure.

(Anatomic Surface, NCI Thesaurus)

As usual, I had underrated the amount of work involved in this portion of the task, and two long days were necessary to complete it.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

It was, indeed, a most pleasant portion of the island that we were now approaching.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

A large portion of the flavanols can also be removed during processing.

(Can Chocolate Really Be Good for You?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Another technique used, which more directly measured the flow of the gas, is better suited to studying the outer portion of the disc.

(ALMA Discovers Trio of Infant Planets around Newborn Star, ESO)

MoAb 96.5 is a monoclonal IgG2a antibody that recognizes an epitope near the amino-terminal portion of p97.

(Monoclonal Antibody 96.5, NCI Thesaurus)