ration

noun

1. 1

   A portion of some limited resource, especially food, allocated to a person, group or period.

   Jack gathered his meager ration of food.

   The town's ration of gasoline had to go to necessary vehicles.

   Betty had divided up her cigarettes to last all month, and her ration for today was only three.

   The corn ration was drastically reduced, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it.

verb

1. 1

   To supply with a ration; to limit (someone) to a specific allowance of something.

   We rationed ourselves to three sips of water a day until we were rescued.

2. 2

   To portion out (especially during a shortage of supply); to limit access to.

   By the third day on the raft, we had to ration our water.

   But as our urban lives have grown more pressed for time, we have diced our opportunity costs finer and finer; from budgeting days or slabs of hours, we have come to rationing minutes.

3. 3

   To restrict (an activity etc.)

   I've rationed myself to one cup of coffee a day.

   Our present health care system is rationed only to those who can afford it because of unnecessary high cost, lack of insurance coverage by 47 million people, and exorbitant prescription prices.

   A theocratic state in which an equation is drawn between the Catholic hierarchy and God and the rights of citizens may be rationed by the church according to its doctrines.

Forms

plural

rations

past tense

rationed

past participle

rationed

present participle

rationing

third person singular

rations