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proportion

/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/ noun

In Latin: prōportiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about proportion at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. The quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole.
  2. Magnitude or extent.
    a building of vast proportions
  3. Balance among the parts of something.

verb

  1. Give pleasant proportions to.
    harmonize a building with those surrounding it
  2. Adjust in size relative to other things.

Origin

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. By surface analysis, pro- + portion.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)