Emily Dickinson Lexicon

POR'TION, n. [L. portio, from partio, to divide, from pars, part. See Part.]

1. In general, a part of any thing separated from it. Hence,
2. A part, though not actually divided, but considered by itself. These are parts of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him. – Job xxvi.
3. A part assigned; an allotment; a dividend. How small / A portion to your share would fall. – Waller. The priests had a portion assigned them by Pharaoh. – Gen. xlvii.
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.
5. A wife's fortune.

POR'TION, v.t.

1. To divide; to parcel; to allot a share or shares. And portion to his tribes the wide domain. – Pope.
2. To endow. Him portion'd maids, apprentic'd orphans blest. – Pope.

POR'TION-ED, pp.

1. Divided into shares or parts.
2. Endowed; furnished with a portion.

POR'TION-ER, n.

One who divides or assigns in shares.

POR'TION-ING, ppr.

Dividing; endowing.

POR'TION-IST, n.

1. One who has a certain academical allowance or portion.
2. The incumbent of a benefice which has more rectors or vicars than one. – Life of A. Wood.

POR'TION-LESS, a.

Having no portion.

PORT-LAND-STONE, n.

A compact sandstone from the isle of Portland in England, which forms a calcarious cement. – Nicholson.

PORT-LAR, n.

A bar to secure the ports of a ship.

PORT-LAST, or POR-TOISE, n.

The gunwale of a ship. To lower the yards a portlast, is to lower them to the gun-wale. To ride a portoise, is to have the lower yards and top-masts struck or lowered down, when at anchor in a gale of wind. – Mar. Dict.

PORT'-LID, n.

The lid that closes a port-hole. – Mar. Dict.

PORT'LI-NESS, n. [from portly.]

Dignity of mien or of personal appearance, consisting in size and symmetry of body, with dignified manners and demeanor. – Camden.

PORT'LY, a. [from port.]

1. Grand or dignified in mien; of a noble appearance and carriage. Shak.
2. Bulky; corpulent. Shak.

PORT-MAN, n. [port and man.]

An inhabitant or burgess, as of a cinque port.

PORT-MAN'TEAU, n. [Fr. porte-manteau, from porter, to carry, and manteau, a cloke, L. mantele, It. mantello. It is often pronounced portmantle.]

A bag usually made of leather, for carrying apparel and other furniture on journeys, particularly on horseback.

PORT-MOTE, n. [port and Sax. mot, a meeting.]

Anciently, a court held in a port town. – Blackstone.

POR'TOISE, n. [See PORTLAST.]

POR'TRAIT, n. [Fr. portrait, from portraire, to draw, Eng. to portray; pour, Eng. for, fore, and traire, L. trahere, Eng. to draw; Arm. pourtrezi. The Italian is ritratto, Sp. and Port. retrato, from L. re and tracto.]

A picture or representation of a person, and especially of a face, drawn from the life. In portraits, the grace, and we may add, the likeness, consists more in the general air than in the exact similitude of every feature. – Reynolds.

POR'TRAIT, v.t.

To portray; to draw. [Not used.] – Spenser.

POR'TRAIT-URE, n. [Fr.]

A portrait; painted resemblance. – Milton. Pope.

POR-TRAY', v.t. [Fr. portraire. See Portrait.]

1. To paint or draw the likeness of any thing in colors; as, to portray a king on horseback; to portray a city or temple with a pencil or with chalk.
2. To describe in words. It belongs to the historian to portray the character of Alexander of Russia. Homer portrays the character and achievements of his heroes in glowing colors.
3. To adorn with pictures; as, shields portrayed. – Milton.

POR-TRAY'ED, pp.

Painted or drawn to the life; described.

POR-TRAY'ER, n.

One who paints, draws to the life or describes.

POR-TRAY'ING, ppr.

Painting or drawing the likeness of; describing.

POR-TRESS, or POR-TER-ESS, n. [from porter.]

A female guardian of a gate. – Milton.