portion
    n 1: something determined in relation to something that includes
         it; "he wanted to feel a part of something bigger than
         himself"; "I read a portion of the manuscript"; "the
         smaller component is hard to reach"; "the animal
         constituent of plankton" [syn: part, portion,
         component part, component, constituent]
    2: something less than the whole of a human artifact; "the rear
       part of the house"; "glue the two parts together" [syn:
       part, portion]
    3: the allotment of some amount by dividing something; "death
       gets more than its share of attention from theologians" [syn:
       parcel, portion, share]
    4: assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual
       person or group; "he wanted his share in cash" [syn: share,
       portion, part, percentage]
    5: your overall circumstances or condition in life (including
       everything that happens to you); "whatever my fortune may
       be"; "deserved a better fate"; "has a happy lot"; "the luck
       of the Irish"; "a victim of circumstances"; "success that was
       her portion" [syn: fortune, destiny, fate, luck,
       lot, circumstances, portion]
    6: money or property brought by a woman to her husband at
       marriage [syn: dowry, dowery, dower, portion]
    7: an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a
       meal; "the helpings were all small"; "his portion was larger
       than hers"; "there's enough for two servings each" [syn:
       helping, portion, serving]
    v 1: give out; "We were assigned new uniforms" [syn: assign,
         allot, portion]

Portion \Por"tion\, n. [F., from L. portio, akin to pars,
   partis, a part. See Part, n.]
   1. That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a
      whole; a separated part of anything.
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   2. A part considered by itself, though not actually cut off
      or separated from the whole.
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            These are parts of his ways; but how little a
            portion is heard of him!              --Job xxvi.
                                                  14.
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            Portions and parcels of the dreadful past.
                                                  --Tennyson.
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   3. A part assigned; allotment; share; fate.
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            The lord of that servant . . . will appoint him his
            portion with the unbelievers.         --Luke xii.
                                                  46.
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            Man's portion is to die and rise again. --Keble.
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   4. The part of an estate given to a child or heir, or
      descending to him by law, and distributed to him in the
      settlement of the estate; an inheritance.
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            Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.
                                                  --Luke xv. 12.
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   5. A wife's fortune; a dowry. --Shak.
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   Syn: Division; share; parcel; quantity; allotment; dividend.
        

   Usage: Portion, Part. Part is generic, having a simple
          reference to some whole. Portion has the additional
          idea of such a division as bears reference to an
          individual, or is allotted to some object; as, a
          portion of one's time; a portion of Scripture.
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Portion \Por"tion\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Portioned; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Portioning.]
   1. To separate or divide into portions or shares; to parcel;
      to distribute.
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            And portion to his tribes the wide domain. --Pope.
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   2. To endow with a portion or inheritance.
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            Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans, blest.
                                                  --Pope.
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PORTION. That part of a parent's estate, or the estate of one standing in 
loco parentis, which is given to a child. 1 Vern. 204. Vide 8 Com. Dig. 539; 
16 Vin. Ab. 4321; 1 Supp. to Ves. Jr. 34, 58, 303, 308; 2 Id. 46, 370, 404.