See lion's share in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for lion's share meaning in English (10.9kB)
{
"etymology_text": "From Aesop’s fable The Lion's Share, in which a lion claims the full amount of the spoil after hunting with a number of other beasts. In one version of the fable, the lion claims three-quarters of the kill rather than the whole, leaving the three other animals to fight over the remainder.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "the lion's share",
"tags": [
"canonical"
]
},
{
"form": "lion's shares",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "lions' shares",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "s",
"2": "lions' shares",
"def": "1"
},
"expansion": "the lion's share (plural lion's shares or lions' shares)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"li‧on's"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
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"parents": [
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"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Ukrainian terms with redundant script codes",
"parents": [
"Terms with redundant script codes",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "They got a large donation, but the lion’s share of the money went straight into paying off debt.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1845 August 8, David Brewster, “XXIX. Observations Connected with the Discovery of the Composition of Water. By Sir David Brewster, K.H., F.R.S., and V.P.R.S. Edin.”, in David Brewster, Richard Taylor, Richard Phillips, Robert Kane, editors, The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, volume XXVII, number 179 (Third Series), London: Richard and John E[dward] Taylor, […], printers and publishers to the University of London; sold by Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans [et al.], published September 1845, →OCLC, page 195",
"text": "In place of dividing the merit of the discovery between the Englishman and the Scotchman, and giving the lion's share to my countryman, I have given the whole merit of the discovery to [Henry] Cavendish the Englishman, and have reserved only for [James] Watt the Scotchman, the merit of the previous hypothesis,—a merit freely given him by Cavendish himself, and one which no other person ever claimed.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1867 November, “Women in the Middle Ages”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CII (American edition, volume LXV), number DCXXV, New York, N.Y.: Published by the Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, page 631, column 1",
"text": "But when a fortunate section of them should begin to win lions' shares of the spoil through superior aptitude for the struggle, can we doubt in what direction the disappointed ones would seek for consolation and support?",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1873 February 15, “Notes of the Week”, in The Japan Weekly Mail. A Political, Commercial, and Literary Journal, volume IV, number 7, Yokohama: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 97",
"text": "But England suffered great damage, and was put to very heavy expense in compelling restitution. She voluntarily surrendered all claim to the lion's share of the prize, though she certainly did the lion's share of the work, and bore the lion's share of the expense.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1887, Lee Meriwether, “Appendix”, in A Tramp Trip: How to See Europe on Fifty Cents a Day, New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 272",
"text": "The real cause of poverty in Europe is the great wealth of the few. The masses always be poor when a few kings and nobles hoard such enormous lion's shares.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1916, Arnold Bennett, “In the Universe”, in The Lion’s Share, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC, page 346",
"text": "You would have the lion's share of everything. Now for myself I intend to have the lion's share. And why shouldn't I? Isn't it about time some woman had it? You can't have the lion's share if you are not free. I mean to be free. If I marry I shall want a husband that is not a prison …",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53",
"text": "Accordingly, Mitchell and his fireman, apparently without removing the engine from the up line, set to work and disconnected the motion on the defective side, after which Fireman Richardson, who probably had done the lion's share of the work, betook himself to the refreshment room and had a cup of coffee.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1970, Richard Christie, Florence Geis, “The Ten Dollar Game”, in Studies in Machiavellianism (Social Psychology), New York, N.Y., London: Academy Press",
"text": "In fact, at the end of some of the Con Game sessions, some subjects suggested playing for money. We must add, however, that it was usually those who had collected the lion's shares of the points who made such suggestions.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2011 February 12, Les Roopanarine, “Birmingham 1 – 0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2018-06-14",
"text": "Yet it could have been so different for Tony Pulis's side, who weathered a good start by the hosts to create the lion's share of what few first-half chances came along.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The majority; a large or generous portion."
],
"id": "en-lion's_share-en-noun-8ZR5obQo",
"links": [
[
"majority",
"majority"
],
[
"large",
"large"
],
[
"generous",
"generous"
],
[
"portion",
"portion#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) The majority; a large or generous portion."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "leonine share"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "hy",
"lang": "Armenian",
"roman": "aṙyuci bažin",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "առյուծի բաժին"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "絕大部分"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "juédà bùfèn",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "绝大部分"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "lví podíl"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "broderpart"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "leeuwendeel"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "leonoporcio"
},
{
"code": "et",
"lang": "Estonian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "lõviosa"
},
{
"code": "fo",
"lang": "Faroese",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "bróðurpartur"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "leijonanosa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "part du lion"
},
{
"code": "ka",
"lang": "Georgian",
"roman": "lomis c̣ili",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "ლომის წილი"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Löwenanteil"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "merída tou léontos",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "μερίδα του λέοντος"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "ḥlq hʾry",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "חלק הארי"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "oroszlánrész"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "parte del leone"
},
{
"alt": "ししのわけまえ",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "shishi-no wakemae",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "獅子の分け前"
},
{
"alt": "うまいしる",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "umai-shiru",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "旨い汁"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "lavovski del",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "лавовски дел"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "brorpart"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "lwia część"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "parte do leão"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "partea leului"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "lʹvínaja dólja",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "льви́ная до́ля"
},
{
"code": "sl",
"lang": "Slovene",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "levji delež"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "tajada del león"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "lejonpart"
},
{
"code": "te",
"lang": "Telugu",
"roman": "siṁhabhāgaṁ",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "సింహభాగం"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "aslan payı"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "levova častka",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "левова частка"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "phần lớn"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈlaɪ.əns ʃɛə/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈlaɪ.ənz ʃɛ(ə)ɹ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-au-lion's share.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/01/En-au-lion%27s_share.ogg/En-au-lion%27s_share.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/En-au-lion%27s_share.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "lion's share"
}
{
"etymology_text": "From Aesop’s fable The Lion's Share, in which a lion claims the full amount of the spoil after hunting with a number of other beasts. In one version of the fable, the lion claims three-quarters of the kill rather than the whole, leaving the three other animals to fight over the remainder.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "the lion's share",
"tags": [
"canonical"
]
},
{
"form": "lion's shares",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "lions' shares",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "s",
"2": "lions' shares",
"def": "1"
},
"expansion": "the lion's share (plural lion's shares or lions' shares)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"li‧on's"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English idioms",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Aesop's Fables",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples",
"Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"Ukrainian terms with redundant script codes"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "They got a large donation, but the lion’s share of the money went straight into paying off debt.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1845 August 8, David Brewster, “XXIX. Observations Connected with the Discovery of the Composition of Water. By Sir David Brewster, K.H., F.R.S., and V.P.R.S. Edin.”, in David Brewster, Richard Taylor, Richard Phillips, Robert Kane, editors, The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, volume XXVII, number 179 (Third Series), London: Richard and John E[dward] Taylor, […], printers and publishers to the University of London; sold by Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans [et al.], published September 1845, →OCLC, page 195",
"text": "In place of dividing the merit of the discovery between the Englishman and the Scotchman, and giving the lion's share to my countryman, I have given the whole merit of the discovery to [Henry] Cavendish the Englishman, and have reserved only for [James] Watt the Scotchman, the merit of the previous hypothesis,—a merit freely given him by Cavendish himself, and one which no other person ever claimed.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1867 November, “Women in the Middle Ages”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CII (American edition, volume LXV), number DCXXV, New York, N.Y.: Published by the Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, page 631, column 1",
"text": "But when a fortunate section of them should begin to win lions' shares of the spoil through superior aptitude for the struggle, can we doubt in what direction the disappointed ones would seek for consolation and support?",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1873 February 15, “Notes of the Week”, in The Japan Weekly Mail. A Political, Commercial, and Literary Journal, volume IV, number 7, Yokohama: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 97",
"text": "But England suffered great damage, and was put to very heavy expense in compelling restitution. She voluntarily surrendered all claim to the lion's share of the prize, though she certainly did the lion's share of the work, and bore the lion's share of the expense.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1887, Lee Meriwether, “Appendix”, in A Tramp Trip: How to See Europe on Fifty Cents a Day, New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 272",
"text": "The real cause of poverty in Europe is the great wealth of the few. The masses always be poor when a few kings and nobles hoard such enormous lion's shares.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1916, Arnold Bennett, “In the Universe”, in The Lion’s Share, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC, page 346",
"text": "You would have the lion's share of everything. Now for myself I intend to have the lion's share. And why shouldn't I? Isn't it about time some woman had it? You can't have the lion's share if you are not free. I mean to be free. If I marry I shall want a husband that is not a prison …",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53",
"text": "Accordingly, Mitchell and his fireman, apparently without removing the engine from the up line, set to work and disconnected the motion on the defective side, after which Fireman Richardson, who probably had done the lion's share of the work, betook himself to the refreshment room and had a cup of coffee.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1970, Richard Christie, Florence Geis, “The Ten Dollar Game”, in Studies in Machiavellianism (Social Psychology), New York, N.Y., London: Academy Press",
"text": "In fact, at the end of some of the Con Game sessions, some subjects suggested playing for money. We must add, however, that it was usually those who had collected the lion's shares of the points who made such suggestions.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2011 February 12, Les Roopanarine, “Birmingham 1 – 0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2018-06-14",
"text": "Yet it could have been so different for Tony Pulis's side, who weathered a good start by the hosts to create the lion's share of what few first-half chances came along.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The majority; a large or generous portion."
],
"links": [
[
"majority",
"majority"
],
[
"large",
"large"
],
[
"generous",
"generous"
],
[
"portion",
"portion#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) The majority; a large or generous portion."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "leonine share"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈlaɪ.əns ʃɛə/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈlaɪ.ənz ʃɛ(ə)ɹ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-au-lion's share.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/01/En-au-lion%27s_share.ogg/En-au-lion%27s_share.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/En-au-lion%27s_share.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "hy",
"lang": "Armenian",
"roman": "aṙyuci bažin",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "առյուծի բաժին"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "絕大部分"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "juédà bùfèn",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "绝大部分"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "lví podíl"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "broderpart"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "leeuwendeel"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "leonoporcio"
},
{
"code": "et",
"lang": "Estonian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "lõviosa"
},
{
"code": "fo",
"lang": "Faroese",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "bróðurpartur"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "leijonanosa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "part du lion"
},
{
"code": "ka",
"lang": "Georgian",
"roman": "lomis c̣ili",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "ლომის წილი"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Löwenanteil"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "merída tou léontos",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "μερίδα του λέοντος"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "ḥlq hʾry",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "חלק הארי"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "oroszlánrész"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "parte del leone"
},
{
"alt": "ししのわけまえ",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "shishi-no wakemae",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "獅子の分け前"
},
{
"alt": "うまいしる",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "umai-shiru",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "旨い汁"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "lavovski del",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "лавовски дел"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "brorpart"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "lwia część"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "parte do leão"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "partea leului"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "lʹvínaja dólja",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "льви́ная до́ля"
},
{
"code": "sl",
"lang": "Slovene",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "levji delež"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "tajada del león"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "lejonpart"
},
{
"code": "te",
"lang": "Telugu",
"roman": "siṁhabhāgaṁ",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "సింహభాగం"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "aslan payı"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "levova častka",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "левова частка"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "the majority; a large or generous portion",
"word": "phần lớn"
}
],
"word": "lion's share"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.