ration

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C] a fixed amount of food, fuel, etc. that you are officially allowed to have when there is not enough for everyone to have as much as they want, for example during a war: the weekly butter ration * a ration book / card / coupon (= allowing you to claim your ration of sth) 2 (rations) [pl.] a fixed amount of food given regularly to a soldier or to sb who is in a place where there is not much food available: We're on short rations (= allowed less than usual) until fresh supplies arrive. * Once these latest rations run out, the country will again face hunger and starvation. 3 [sing.] ~ (of sth) an amount of sth that is thought to be normal or fair: As part of the diet, allow yourself a small daily ration of sugar. * I've had my ration of problems for one day-you deal with it! verb [VN] [oftenpassive] ~ sb/sth (to sth) to limit the amount of sth that sb is allowed to have, especially because there is not enough of it available: Eggs were rationed during the war. * The villagers are rationed to two litres of water a day.