lion's share

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lion's share ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the largest part or share, especially a disproportionate portion: The eldest son received the lion's share of the estate.

Origin of lion's share

First recorded in 1780–90; probably after Aesop's fable in which the lion claimed all the spoils of a hunt

Words nearby lion's share

liny, linyu, linz, linzer torte, lion, lion's share, lion-hearted, lioncel, lionel, lioness, lionet

Words related to lion's share

advantage, body, bulk, gist, mass, meat, most

Cultural definitions for lion's share

lion's share

A disproportionately large segment of the whole: “Though we always divided our winnings, somehow Barton always seemed to end up with the lion's share.”

Idioms and Phrases with lion's share

lion's share

The greater part or most of something, as in Whenever they won a doubles match, Ethel claimed the lion's share of the credit, or As usual, Uncle Bob took the lion's share of the cake. This expression alludes to Aesop's fable about a lion, who got all of a kill because its fellow hunters, an ass, fox, and wolf, were afraid to claim their share. [Late 1700s]