different between matter vs portion
matter
English
Etymology
From Middle English matere, mater, from Anglo-Norman matere, materie, from Old French materie, matiere, from Latin materia (“matter, stuff, material”), derivative of Latin mater (“mother”). Doublet of Madeira.
Displaced native Middle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter”) (from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material”)), Old English intinga (“matter, affair, business”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?mæt?/
- (General American) IPA(key): /?mæt?/, [?mæ??]
- Homophone: madder
- Rhymes: -æt?(?)
- Hyphenation: mat?ter
Noun
matter (countable and uncountable, plural matters)
- Substance, material.
- (physics) The basic structural component of the universe. Matter usually has mass and volume.
- (physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles.
- Antonym: antimatter
- A kind of substance.
- Printed material, especially in books or magazines.
- (philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.
- A condition, subject or affair, especially one of concern.
- 1597, Francis Bacon, Of the Colours of Good and Evil
- if the matter should be tried by duel
- 12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift
- The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled.
- 1597, Francis Bacon, Of the Colours of Good and Evil
- An approximate amount or extent.
- (obsolete) The essence; the pith; the embodiment.
- 1611, Ben Jonson, Oberon, the Faery Prince
- He is the matter of virtue.
- 1611, Ben Jonson, Oberon, the Faery Prince
- (obsolete) Inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.
- (dated) Pus.
Synonyms
- material
- stuff
- substance
Derived terms
Related terms
- dark matter
Translations
Verb
matter (third-person singular simple present matters, present participle mattering, simple past and past participle mattered)
- (intransitive) To be important. [from 16th c.]
- (transitive, in negative constructions, now England regional, Caribbean) To care about, to mind; to find important. [from 17th c.]
- , Folio Society 1973, p.47:
- Besides, if it had been out of doors I had not mattered it so much; but with my own servant, in my own house, under my own roof […]
- 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 56:
- He matter'd not that, he said; coy maids made the fondest wives […].
- , Folio Society 1973, p.47:
- (intransitive, medicine, archaic) To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.
- Each slight sore mattereth.
Derived terms
- it doesn't matter
- no matter (“in spite of”)
Synonyms
- (be important): signify
Translations
French
Verb
matter
- Alternative spelling of mater
Conjugation
Anagrams
- mettra
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?mat?/
Adjective
matter
- comparative degree of matt
- inflection of matt:
- strong/mixed nominative masculine singular
- strong genitive/dative feminine singular
- strong genitive plural
Middle French
Alternative forms
- mater
Verb
matter
- to checkmate
Conjugation
- Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Norwegian Bokmål
Noun
matter m pl or f pl
- indefinite plural of matte (Etymology 1)
Norwegian Nynorsk
Noun
matter f pl
- indefinite plural of matte (Etymology 1)
matter From the web:
- what matters
- what matters in life
- what matters most in life
- what matters to you
- what matter is fire
- what matters most to you
portion
English
Etymology
From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /?p????n/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?p????n/
- (Scotland, Ireland, other varieties without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA(key): /?po????n/, /?po????n/, /?po???n/
- Rhymes: -??(?)??n
Noun
portion (plural portions)
- An allocated amount.
- That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part of anything.
- One's fate; lot.
- Man's portion is to die and rise again.
- The part of an estate given or falling to a child or heir; an inheritance.
- A wife's fortune; a dowry.
- 1613, William Shakespeare, The Two Noble Kinsmen, V. iv. 31:
- Commend me to her, and to piece her portion / Tender her this.
- 1613, William Shakespeare, The Two Noble Kinsmen, V. iv. 31:
Usage notes
Relatively formal, compared to the more informal part or more concrete and casual piece. For example, “part of the money” (both informal) but “portion of the proceeds” (both formal).
Synonyms
- part
- piece
Derived terms
- portionless
- proportion
- underportion
Translations
Verb
portion (third-person singular simple present portions, present participle portioning, simple past and past participle portioned)
- (transitive) To divide into amounts, as for allocation to specific purposes.
- (transitive) To endow with a portion or inheritance.
- 1733, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Bathurst
- Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans, blest.
- 1733, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Bathurst
Translations
Usage notes
- Particularly used as portion out.
- Relatively formal, compared to the more informal divide, divide up, or the casual divvy, divvy up.
Synonyms
- apportion
- divide, divide up
- divvy, divvy up
Derived terms
- portion off
- portion out
Further reading
- portion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- portion in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin portionem (accusative singular of portio).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /p??.sj??/
Noun
portion f (plural portions)
- portion
Descendants
- ? Turkish: porsiyon
Further reading
- “portion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Anagrams
- potiron
Interlingua
Noun
portion (plural portiones)
- portion
Swedish
Pronunciation
Noun
portion c
- serving, an helping of food
Declension
Related terms
- portionera
portion From the web:
- what portion of social security is taxable
- what portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is visible
- what portion of the neuron transmits neurotransmitters
- what portion of the south's population was enslaved
- what portion of the facial lasts the longest
- what portion of a section is ten acres
- what portion of a section is 10 acres
- what portions should i eat
you may also like
- matter vs portion
- faultfinding vs vituperative
- vehemence vs animation
- prejudice vs influence
- unfriendly vs unneighbourly
- unheeding vs heedless
- circle vs curl
- fulfilment vs effectuation
- transitory vs cursory
- intolerable vs odious
- headlong vs inexorable
- fastening vs connector
- sound vs rumbling
- towering vs heavy
- chance vs whimsical
- articulation vs inflection
- heroic vs daring
- instigate vs drive
- embankment vs rise
- show vs explain