Library / English Dictionary

RATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel)

Example:

the rations should be nutritionally balanced

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

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

fare (the food and drink that are regularly served or consumed)

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

field ration (rations issued for United States troops in the field)

Derivation:

ration (distribute in rations, as in the army)

ration (restrict the consumption of a relatively scarce commodity, as during war)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

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

part; percentage; portion; share (assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group)

Derivation:

ration (distribute in rations, as in the army)

ration (restrict the consumption of a relatively scarce commodity, as during war)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Distribute in rations, as in the army

Example:

Cigarettes are rationed

Synonyms:

ration; ration out

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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

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

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

ration (the food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel))

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Restrict the consumption of a relatively scarce commodity, as during war

Example:

Bread was rationed during the siege of the city

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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

curb; curtail; cut back; restrict (place restrictions on)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

ration (the food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel))

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

rationing (the act of rationing)

Credits

 Context examples: 

And when, in addition to this, the worn-out huskies pulled weakly, Hal decided that the orthodox ration was too small.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

It is a saying of the country that an Outside dog starves to death on the ration of the husky, so the six Outside dogs under Buck could do no less than die on half the ration of the husky.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)