portage

1 of 2

noun

por·​tage ˈpȯr-tij 

sense 3 is also

pȯr-ˈtäzh 

1

: the labor of carrying or transporting

2

archaic : the cost of carrying : porterage

3

a

: the carrying of boats or goods overland from one body of water to another or around an obstacle (such as a rapids)

b

: the route followed in making such a transfer

portage

2 of 2

verb

por·​tage ˈpȯr-tij  pȯr-ˈtäzh 

portaged; portaging

transitive verb

: to carry over a portage

intransitive verb

: to move gear over a portage

Did you know?

Portage was borrowed from French back in the 15th century to mean "carrying, transporting" or "freight", and it has kept its simple "carrying" sense to the present day. But its first known use in its "carrying of boats" sense came in 1698, and the obstacle that the canoes couldn't be steered over was none other than Niagara Falls. Though canoes are much lighter today than they used to be, a long portage that includes a lot of camping gear can still test a camper's strength.

Examples of portage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the Boundary Waters is a little over a million acres of woods and mainly lakes, thousands of lakes interconnected by portages. —Paddy O'Connell, Outside Online, 1 May 2025

Paddle the 13-mile Chain of Lakes trail, which traverses four small lakes on the Kabetogama Peninsula via small creeks and short portages. —Graham Averill, Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2025

Verb

Boaters are required to portage around the dam, and public safety notices will be posted in the area. —Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 31 May 2025

There are ways to portage around these areas like the Kletzsch Park Waterfall but not always. —Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 27 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from porter to carry

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for portage

• shortage
• reportage

Kids Definition

portage

1 of 2 noun

por·​tage ˈpōrt-ij  ˈpȯrt- 

pȯr-ˈtäzh

1

: the carrying of boats or goods overland from one body of water to another

2

: a route for such carrying

portage

2 of 2 verb

portaged; portaging

: to go or carry over a portage

Geographical Definition

Portage

geographical name

Por·​tage ˈpȯr-tij 

1

city on Lake Michigan in northwestern Indiana east of Gary population 36,828

2

city in southwestern Michigan south of Kalamazoo population 46,292