lion's share
Preserved but no longer current.
The larger part: all or nearly all. In jEsop's Fables, several beasts joined the lion in a hunt; but, when the spoil was divided, the lion claimed one quarter in right of his prerogative, one for his superior courage, one for his dam and cubs, "and as for the fourth, let who will dispute it with me." Awed by his frown, the other beasts yielded and silently withdrew. Cp. MONTGOMERY.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “lion's share” mean?
The larger part: all or nearly all. In jEsop's Fables, several beasts joined the lion in a hunt; but, when the spoil was divided, the lion claimed one quarter in right of his prerogative, one for his superior courage, one for his dam and cubs, "and as for the fourth, let who will dispute it with me." Awed by his frown, the other beasts yielded and silently withdrew. Cp. MONTGOMERY.
Is “lion's share” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.