A bellhop transporting a guest's luggage.
- An example of portage is bringing suitcases up to the hotel room.
- An example of portage is taking a canoe out of the river right before the rapids and carrying it down the side of the river and then replacing the canoe into the river after the rapids.
Portage is defined as the act of carrying or transporting, or payment for carrying, or carrying small boats over land between two bodies of water.
- the act of carrying or transporting
- the charge for this
- a carrying of boats and supplies overland from one lake or river to another, as during a canoe trip
- any route over which this is done
Origin of portageMiddle English ; from Middle French ; from Medieval Latin portaticum ; from Classical Latin portare, to carry: see fare
, -·taged, -·tag·ing
⌂ to carry (a canoe, supplies, etc.) over a portage
- a. The act or an instance of carrying.b. A charge for carrying.
- Nautical a. The carrying of boats and supplies overland between two waterways or around an obstacle to navigation.b. A track or route used for such carrying.
tr. & intr.v.port·aged, port·ag·ing, port·ag·es Nautical
To transport or travel by portage: canoed and portaged the goods; portaging around the rapids.
Origin of portageMiddle English, from Old French, from porter, to carry, from Latin portare; see per-2 in Indo-European roots.
(third-person singular simple present portages, present participle portaging, simple past and past participle portaged)
- (nautical) To carry a boat overland