Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

portage

Pronunciation: /ˈpɔːtɪdʒ, pɔːˈtɑːʒ/

Definition of portage

noun

[mass noun]
  • the carrying of a boat or its cargo between two navigable waters:the return journey was made much simpler by portage
  • [count noun] a place at which portage is necessary:a portage over the weir
  • archaic the action of carrying or transporting something: the cloister required an enormous labour of portage from the plain

verb

[with object]
  • carry (a boat or its cargo) between navigable waters:we portaged everything here
  • [no object, with adverbial] (of a boat) be carried between or across unnavigable waters: the cataracts meant that boats had to portage on to the Lualaba

Origin:

late Middle English: from French, from porter 'carry'. The sense relating to carrying between navigable waters dates from the late 17th century

portage in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of portage in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More words in this category

Word of the day

synodic

/ sɪˈnɒdɪk /
adjective
relating to or involving the conjunction of celestial objects …