PORRIDGE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com (original) (raw)

[pawr-ij, por-] / ˈpɔr ɪdʒ, ˈpɒr- /

noun

a food made of oatmeal, or some other meal or cereal, boiled to a thick consistency in water or milk.

porridge British

/ ˈpɒrɪdʒ /

noun

a dish made from oatmeal or another cereal, cooked in water or milk to a thick consistency
slang a term in prison (esp in the phrase do porridge )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

porridgelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of porridge

1525–35; variant of earlier poddidge, akin to pottage

Compare meaning

How does porridge compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

gruel vs. porridge

Explanation

Porridge is a thick, warm type of food similar to oatmeal. It's often a breakfast food. When you boil oats in milk or water, the end result of porridge. Porridge is served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon. It’s usually served for breakfast and is famous for appearing in the fairy tale of Goldilocks. Porridge is the food that's too hot, too cold, and then just right.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing porridge

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But if electricity is only available sporadically, she says, "the food doesn't keep very well. There were cases when food was cooked in the morning and by dinner the porridge had become completely solid."

FromBBC • Jan. 20, 2026

Breakfast is her favourite meal and she recommends eating porridge with a variety of toppings as a way to get some fibre in the morning.

FromBBC • Jan. 16, 2026

In the Starkadders’ home, breakfast means congealed porridge, and cows are called Feckless, Aimless, Graceless and Pointless.

FromThe Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Gen Z, in its infinite ability to rehabilitate the uncool, has decided that porridge is pleasure.

FromSalon • Nov. 13, 2025

When I opened my eyes, I lay for a minute, watching Osh as he stood at the stove, cooking porridge in a scabby pot.

From"Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023