Ration

Ration

Noun & Verb · /ˈræʃən/ · a fixed allowance; to distribute in controlled amounts

Definition

As a noun, a ration is a fixed and officially measured portion of something — typically food, fuel, or a scarce resource — allocated to each person. As a verb, to ration means to restrict the distribution of something so that it does not run out, allocating it in controlled shares. In wartime Britain, rations determined exactly how much butter, meat, sugar, and clothing each household could obtain per week.

Origin

From Latin ratio — a reckoning, a calculation. The sense of a measured allowance developed in military usage: a soldier's daily ration was his calculated entitlement of food and supplies. The word entered English in the 18th century through military and official language. The plural rations — as in army rations — preserves the military tone.