portion

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole. part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

• • they ran only part of the way

portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

• • cut the pie into six portions

piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

• • a puzzle with 500 pieces

member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

• • a structural member

division applies to a large or diversified part.

• • the manufacturing division of the company

section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

• • the entertainment section of the newspaper

segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

• • the retired segment of the population

fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

• • only a fragment of the play still exists

fate, destiny, lot, portion, doom mean a predetermined state or end. fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.

• • the fate of the submarine is unknown

destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.

• • the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world

lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance

• • it was her lot to die childless

, portion implying the apportioning of good and evil.

• • remorse was his daily portion

doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.

• • if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain