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ration Definition

ra·tion (ras̸h′ən, rā′shən)

noun

  1. a fixed portion; share; allowance
  2. a fixed allowance or allotment of food or provisions, esp. a fixed daily allowance, as for a soldier
  3. food or food supply, as for soldiers, explorers, etc.

Etymology: MFr < ML ratio, ration < L, a reckoning: see reason

transitive verb

  1. to supply with a ration or rations
  2. to distribute (food, clothing, etc.) in rations, as in times of scarcity

ration Synonyms

ration

n.

allotment, portion, quota; see division 2, share. See syn. study at food.

ration Synonyms

ration

v.

proportion, allot, apportion; see distribute 1.

ration Usage Examples

Object

evacuation: Agree a list of key words, e.g. rationing, evacuation, air raid, Anderson shelter.

Converse of object

  • feed: The detainees were fed starvation rations once a day, with little time to eat.
  • distribute: Well over half the population, 14-16 million people, already depend on food rations distributed under the UN's Oil for Food program.

Adjective modifier

  • meager: The general health of the men was not helped by the meager rations that they were allocated.
  • ruminant: The effect of this Decision was to ban the inclusion of gelatine in ruminant rations.
  • meager: For the lean ones, status quo implies impotence, exile, meager rations.
  • daily: The sailors on board HMS ships had a daily ration.
  • humanitarian: The Department of Defense has begun flying in the first of over a million humanitarian daily rations to be sent to the region.
  • balanced: Treatment is to feed a complete and balanced ration and avoid excess mineral supplementation.

Modifies a noun

  • coupon: In addition to using ration coupons, people had to pay for the items bought.
  • formulation: Using a model dairy cow to help Animal Production students learn ration formulation.
  • pack: Our ration packs can be tailor made to suit individual needs.
  • book: The more ration books in a family, the better the meals were.

Noun used with modifier

  • rum: Hardy: The rum ration has been abolished, Admiral.
  • configu-: The operation may fail due to an error in the configu- ration file or the current memory load.
  • starvation: The detainees were fed starvation rations once a day, with little time to eat.
  • wartime: Tea made from it is strong and of very good flavor so the wartime ration went a long way.
  • emergency: In the large well beneath, accessed by a staircase, the station stored some of its bulk emergency rations.
  • bread: I would accept nothing, not even bread rations, from the hands stained with the blood of the brave Kronstadt sailors.

Preposition: of

rice: Everyone carried his day's ration of rice in a bundle round his waist.