hand basket portion
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have a hand-basket portion.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Phụ nữ có chồng nhận quà thường xuyên từ gia đình cô
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “hand basket portion” mean?
A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have a hand-basket portion.
Is “hand basket portion” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.