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

Keweenaw can also be traced to the Ojibwe word Kee-wi-wai-non-ing, meaning portage or place where portage is made, according to Michigan State University. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025

By the 1990s, more dams had been built on the river, which meant more overland portage. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Verb

To avoid this arduous roadblock, traders portaged through what is now the Portland neighborhood ― a driving factor in Louisville's establishment and early growth. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 9 July 2025

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

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