Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Having a round, stout body. synonym: fat.
- adjective Archaic Stately or dignified.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Stately or dignified in mien; of noble appearance and carriage.
- Stout; somewhat large and unwieldy in person.
- Swelling.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Having a dignified port or mien; of a noble appearance; imposing.
- adjective Bulky; corpulent.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective euphemisms for `fat'
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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One evening in mid-February, he called the portly man to speak with him after lecture, and, with what geniality he could, explained to him the details of his library project and told whom he had chosen for librarian.
Thyrza George Gissing 1880
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Jaho, who could herself be described as portly, said it was important to try to reduce the chronic illnesses associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
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And suddenly Tomas recalled the portly po'liceman handing him the denunciation of none other than this tall editor with the big chin.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Kundera, Milan, 1929- 1984
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"Number two," he said to himself, recalling the portly Mexican -- and the voice.
The Ridin' Kid from Powder River Henry Herbert Knibbs 1909
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Ease, music, money-making, the affairs of his harem and the bringing-up of his children, are his chief interests, and his plump pale face with long-lashed hazel eyes, his curling beard and fat womanish hands, recall the portly potentates of
In Morocco Edith Wharton 1899
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Hbaf may be your conditioa portly, which is not y#uj
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When I described Nilas Martins as "portly" in The New York Times and Mark Morris as "obese" in the Times Literary Supplement, those remarks were also greeted with silence.
Alastair Macaulay Responds To Ballerina Weight Comments, Says Body In Ballet Is Relevant The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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When I described Nilas Martins as "portly" in The New York Times and Mark Morris as "obese" in the Times Literary Supplement, those remarks were also greeted with silence.
Alastair Macaulay Responds To Ballerina Weight Comments, Says Body In Ballet Is Relevant The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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And he got down on all fours, and he was kind of portly at the time - like he is now, actually - and his stomach was peeking out from beneath his shirt.
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Complainants are 'portly', 'disheveled', 'live with their mothers', 'not normal'...
Violence Breaks Out at Funnybook Signing | Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources 2008
yarb commented on the word portly
But he was stopped on the way by a portly sperm whale, that begged a few moments' confidential business with him. That business consisted in fetching the Commodore's craft such a thwack, that with all his pumps going he made straight for the nearest port to heave down and repair.
- Melville, Moby-Dick, ch. 45
July 25, 2008
hernesheir commented on the word portly
(adj): handsome, imposing. Original sense as recorded in the OED.
January 16, 2009
bilby commented on the word portly
This etymology isn't much use given we don't know which definition port5 refers to.
February 24, 2013