proportion
B1Meanings
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1
noun
harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole, as in a design
This chair has great proportions.
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2
noun
magnitude or extent
a building of vast proportions
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3
noun
the relation between things (or parts of things) with respect to their comparative quantity, magnitude, or degree
an inordinate proportion of the book is given over to quotations
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4
noun
A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.
“I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, the worn-out, passionless men, the enervated matrons of the summer capital,[…]!”
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5
noun
Proper or equal share.
Let the women[…]do the same things in their proportions and capacities.
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6
noun
The relation of one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude, quantity, or degree.
the proportion of the parts of a building, or of the body
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7
noun
Size.
The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.
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8
verb
To divide into proper shares; to apportion.
In order to proportion the braking force to the weight carried by a wheel - a matter of special importance in the braking of wagons - variable leverage systems are now being introduced in which the end of one axle spring is linked to a control spring in the change-over valve, so automatically varying the leverage exerted by the brake-rod according to whether the wagon is full or empty.
Etymology
From Middle English proporcion, from Old French proportion, from Latin prōportiō (“comparative relation, proportion, symmetry, analogy”), from pro (“for, before”) + portio (“share, part”); see portion.
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