lion's share

plural lion's shares · plural lions' shares

1. idiomaticThe majority; a large or generous portion.

   They got a large donation, but the lion’s share of the money went straight into paying off debt.

   5 more examples

   In place of dividing the merit of the discovery between the Englishman and the Scotchman, and giving the lion's share to my countryman, I have given the whole merit of the discovery to [Henry] Cavendish the Englishman, and have reserved only for [James] Watt the Scotchman, the merit of the previous hypothesis,—a merit freely given him by Cavendish himself, and one which no other person ever claimed.

   1845 August 8, David Brewster, “XXIX. Observations Connected with the Discovery of the Composition of Water. By Sir David Brewster, K.H., F.R.S., and V.P.R.S. Edin.”, in David Brewster, Richard Taylor, Richard Phillips, Robert Kane, editors, The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, volume XXVII, number 179 (Third Series), London: Richard and John E[dward] Taylor, […], printers and publishers to the University of London; sold by Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans [et al.], published September 1845, →OCLC, page 195

   But when a fortunate section of them should begin to win lions' shares of the spoil through superior aptitude for the struggle, can we doubt in what direction the disappointed ones would seek for consolation and support?

   1867 November, “Women in the Middle Ages”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CII (American edition, volume LXV), number DCXXV, New York, N.Y.: Published by the Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, page 631, column 1

   But England suffered great damage, and was put to very heavy expense in compelling restitution. She voluntarily surrendered all claim to the lion's share of the prize, though she certainly did the lion's share of the work, and bore the lion's share of the expense.

   1873 February 15, “Notes of the Week”, in The Japan Weekly Mail. A Political, Commercial, and Literary Journal, volume IV, number 7, Yokohama: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 97

   The real cause of poverty in Europe is the great wealth of the few. The masses always be poor when a few kings and nobles hoard such enormous lion's shares.

   1887, Lee Meriwether, “Appendix”, in A Tramp Trip: How to See Europe on Fifty Cents a Day, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 272

   You would have the lion's share of everything. Now for myself I intend to have the lion's share. And why shouldn't I? Isn't it about time some woman had it? You can't have the lion's share if you are not free. I mean to be free. If I marry I shall want a husband that is not a prison …

   1916, Arnold Bennett, “In the Universe”, in The Lion’s Share, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC, page 346

   Synonyms: leonine share