noun Uncommon

porridge

POR-ihj

Porridge (noun) means a soft, thick breakfast dish made by cooking oats or other grain in milk or water. Example: “She had a warm bowl of porridge before school.”

noun

A soft, thick breakfast dish made by cooking oats or other grain in milk or water.

"She had a warm bowl of porridge before school."

British slang for a prison sentence.

"He did five years' porridge for the robbery."

How to use porridge

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA hot oat-based breakfast dish, or, informally in British slang, time served in prison.

When to use it

"Doing porridge" for a prison term is informal British slang, largely unknown in American English.

Easily confused with

gruel →

Common pairings

bowl of porridge oat porridge do porridge

Word forms

porridges plural

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She had a warm bowl of _____ before school.

Etymology

A variant of "pottage" (a thick stew), influenced by the old word "porray" for a leek stew. The prison-sentence slang comes from the tradition of serving porridge to prisoners at breakfast.

Rhymes for porridge

ridge midge pidge nidge bridge fridge smidge Coolidge Aldridge Eldridge Claridge partridge

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Frequently asked questions

What does “porridge” mean?

The word “porridge” means a soft, thick breakfast dish made by cooking oats or other grain in milk or water. In plain terms, a hot oat-based breakfast dish, or, informally in British slang, time served in prison.

How do you pronounce “porridge”?

“Porridge” is pronounced POR-ihj (/ˈpɔɹɪd͡ʒ/ in IPA).

How do you use “porridge” in a sentence?

Here is “porridge” used in a sentence: “She had a warm bowl of porridge before school.”

What part of speech is “porridge”?

“Porridge” is a noun.

Is “porridge” a common word?

“Porridge” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “porridge” have?

“Porridge” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a soft, thick breakfast dish made by cooking oats or other grain in milk or water.