Dictionary

lion's share en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈlaɪ.əns ʃɛə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈlaɪ.ənz ʃɛ(ə)ɹ/ (General-American)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) The majority; a large or generous portion.
   • 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 … 1916, Arnold Bennett, “In the Universe”, in The Lion’s Share, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC, page 346:
   • 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? 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:
   • 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. 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:
   • 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. 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:
   • 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. 1970, Richard Christie, Florence Geis, “The Ten Dollar Game”, in Studies in Machiavellianism (Social Psychology), New York, N.Y.; London: Academy Press, →ISBN:
   • They got a large donation, but the lion’s share of the money went straight into paying off debt.
   • 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. 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:
   • 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. 1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53:
   • 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. 2011 February 12, Les Roopanarine, “Birmingham 1 – 0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2018:

Forms

Synonyms

leonine share

Translations (44)

lv lauvas tiesa (the majority; a large or generous portion) · es tajada del león (the majority; a large or generous portion) · eo leonoporcio (the majority; a large or generous portion) · fo bróðurpartur (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ja 大部分 (the majority; a large or generous portion) · sh lavovski deo (the majority; a large or generous portion) · sk leví podiel (the majority; a large or generous portion) · fr part du lion (the majority; a large or generous portion) · vi phần lớn (the majority; a large or generous portion) · fi leijonanosa (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ka ლომის წილი (the majority; a large or generous portion) · mk лавовски дел (the majority; a large or generous portion) · da broderpart (the majority; a large or generous portion) · sh лавовски део (the majority; a large or generous portion) · he חלק הארי (the majority; a large or generous portion) · el μερίδα του λέοντος (the majority; a large or generous portion) · de Löwenanteil (the majority; a large or generous portion) · cmn 大部分 (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ar حِصَّةُ الأَسَد (the majority; a large or generous portion) · nl leeuwendeel (the majority; a large or generous portion) · be льві́ная до́ля (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ko 대부분 (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ja 獅子の分け前 (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ru льви́ная до́ля (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ro partea leului (the majority; a large or generous portion) · it parte del leone (the majority; a large or generous portion) · hy առյուծի բաժին (the majority; a large or generous portion) · nb brorpart (the majority; a large or generous portion) · pt parte do leão (the majority; a large or generous portion) · bg лъ́вски пай (the majority; a large or generous portion) · cmn 絕大部分 /绝大部分 (the majority; a large or generous portion) · uk ле́вова ча́стка (the majority; a large or generous portion) · pl lwia część (the majority; a large or generous portion) · te సింహభాగం (the majority; a large or generous portion) · cs lví podíl (the majority; a large or generous portion) · sl levji delež (the majority; a large or generous portion) · lt liūto dalis (the majority; a large or generous portion) · sv lejonpart (the majority; a large or generous portion) · et lõviosa (the majority; a large or generous portion) · hu oroszlánrész (the majority; a large or generous portion) · uk леви́на до́ля (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ko 사자의 몫 (the majority; a large or generous portion) · ja 旨い汁 (the majority; a large or generous portion) · tr aslan payı (the majority; a large or generous portion)