pottage: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary, Historical, Biblical
Quick answer
What does “pottage” mean?
A thick soup or stew, usually of vegetables and sometimes meat, typically rustic, simple, and economical.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A thick soup or stew, usually of vegetables and sometimes meat, typically rustic, simple, and economical.
Anything of a thick, mushy, or unappetizing consistency; something deemed simple or basic, often in a historical or literary context. Figuratively, it can represent a modest or meager offering.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant regional differences in meaning. The word is equally archaic and literary in both varieties.
Connotations
Both varieties share the same historical/literary connotations. It may be slightly more familiar in UK contexts due to a stronger tradition of medieval historical education and literature.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both, but may appear marginally more often in British historical fiction or drama.
Grammar
How to Use “pottage” in a Sentence
eat (the/a) pottagemake (a/some) pottagesell for a mess of pottagelive on pottageVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pottage” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- This root vegetable can be pottaged for a warming winter dish.
- The chef pottaged the leftovers into a surprisingly elegant meal.
American English
- The settlers pottaged their meager supplies to make them last.
- She pottaged the beans and kale together for a hearty lunch.
adverb
British English
- The vegetables were cooked pottagedly into a uniform mush.
- He spoke pottagedly, mixing unrelated points into a confusing whole.
American English
- The ingredients simmered pottagedly for hours.
- The policy was implemented pottagedly, without a clear vision.
adjective
British English
- The pottage-like consistency of the gruel was unappealing.
- His finances were in a pottage state after the investment failed.
American English
- They served a pottage soup at the medieval fair.
- The debate dissolved into pottage arguments with no substance.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Might appear in a metaphorical phrase like 'selling the company's future for a pottage of quick profits' to criticize short-termism.
Academic
Used in historical, literary, or biblical studies to describe medieval/Renaissance food or in analyses of the 'Esau' idiom.
Everyday
Extremely rare. If used, it would be in a humorous or self-consciously descriptive way ('I made a kind of vegetable pottage with what was left in the fridge').
Technical
Not used in modern technical culinary contexts; replaced by specific terms like 'stew', 'soup', 'puree'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “pottage”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “pottage”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pottage”
- Pronouncing it as /pɒˈtɑːʒ/ or /pəʊˈtɑːʒ/. The stress is on the first syllable: /ˈpɒtɪdʒ/.
- Using it as a modern synonym for 'soup' without evoking historical context.
- Spelling as 'portage' (which means carrying boats overland).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. While it is a thick soup or stew, the term carries strong historical, rustic, and often biblical connotations. Modern 'soup' or 'stew' are neutral terms; 'pottage' is evocative of a specific, simpler past.
Porridge typically refers to a dish made by boiling ground, crushed, or chopped starchy plants (like oats) in water or milk. Pottage is a broader term for a thick, savoury stew of vegetables and sometimes meat. Oatmeal porridge is a breakfast food; lentil pottage is a main meal.
It comes from the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Esau, returning famished from hunting, sells his birthright (his future inheritance and status as firstborn) to his brother Jacob in exchange for a meal of 'bread and pottage of lentils'. It thus symbolizes a foolish trade of something of lasting value for a momentary satisfaction.
You can, but it will sound deliberately archaic, humorous, or descriptive. Saying 'I made a lentil pottage' instead of 'lentil stew' adds a quaint or rustic flavour. In most modern contexts, 'stew', 'soup', or 'ragout' are more natural choices.
A thick soup or stew, usually of vegetables and sometimes meat, typically rustic, simple, and economical.
Pottage is usually literary, historical, biblical in register.
Pottage: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɒtɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɑːt̬ɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage (to exchange something of great value for an immediate but trivial gain)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
POT-TAGE: Think of an old, simple clay POT on the fire, simmering for an AGE, making a thick, basic stew.
Conceptual Metaphor
BASIC SUSTENANCE IS POTTAGE; A TRIVIAL GAIN IS A MESS OF POTTAGE.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'pottage' MOST likely to be encountered today?