portion

UK/ˈpɔːʃən/US/ˈpoɹʃən/

nounB22 meanings Common in everyday speech and writing · #3,968 of 15,258mostly written

Other forms: portions

A portion is the amount of food served for one person. A large portion, portion size, three portions.

Portion size is the standard term in nutrition, and five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is the British public health target. Portion control means deciding the amount in advance. More generally, a portion is a share or part of anything: a portion of the profits, a large portion of the day. Note apportion, meaning to divide up; and that a serving and a portion are the same thing.

Definitions of portion

1nounportionThe amount of food served for one person.B2
“The portions there are about twice what anybody can eat.”
- Said"The portions here are huge; shall we share one main?"
- WrittenA portion of chips at the seaside was a paper cone you could not see over.
- UsedWeigh the rice before cooking; one portion is seventy grams dry.
- ContrastA portion, not a helping. A helping is what you were given; a portion is what the menu counts as one. helping →
- Not thisA bite is not a portion. A portion is a whole serving for one person.
- SimplyOne portion of pasta. That is enough for me.
Patterna portion of + noun · portion size · a generous / small portion · portion sth out · proportion
synonyms: serving, helping
2nounshareA share or part of something.B2
“A large portion of the day went on one phone call.”

portion is a share.

Also accepted in games: serving, helping

Remember it

PORTION → one slice each of the pizza

One big pizza, eight people, eight equal slices: each slice is one person's portion.

Where it comes from

Latin portio means a share or part, related to pars, a part. Proportion is the same word with pro-, meaning in relation to — so a proportion is a share compared with the whole.

Middle English
porcioun
English, today
portion

Built from

pars · Latin — part

From Middle English porcioun. From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, accusative of Latin portiō (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), from portiō, akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Definitions of portion

1nounportionThe amount of food served for one person.B2

“The portions there are about twice what anybody can eat.”

Said"The portions here are huge; shall we share one main?"
WrittenA portion of chips at the seaside was a paper cone you could not see over.
UsedWeigh the rice before cooking; one portion is seventy grams dry.
ContrastA portion, not a helping. A helping is what you were given; a portion is what the menu counts as one. helping →
Not thisA bite is not a portion. A portion is a whole serving for one person.
SimplyOne portion of pasta. That is enough for me.

Patterna portion of + noun · portion size · a generous / small portion · portion sth out · proportion

synonyms: serving, helping

portion is a share.

Also accepted in games: serving, helping