portague, a Portuguese gold coin, worth varying according to time between £3 5s. and £4 10s. B. Jonson, Alchem. i. 3. Spelt portigue, Fletcher, Rule a Wife, v. 5. 5; portegue, Phillips, Dict., 1658; pl. portagues, Strype, Eccl. Mem. (ed. 1721, i. 18. 138); also, porteguez, Davenant, News fr. Plymouth (NED.). The s (z) of Span. Portugues, Pg. Portuguez, ‘Portuguese’, was taken as a plural, hence the English forms portegue, &c.
portance, carriage, bearing, deportment. Coriolanus, ii. 3. 232; Spenser, F. Q. ii. 3. 5; ii. 3. 21.
portcannons, ornamental rolls or ‘canions’ round the legs of breeches; see [canion]. Butler, Hud. i. 3. 926.
portcullis, an Elizabethan coin, stamped with a portcullis. B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Humour, iii. 1 (Shift).
porter’s lodge, the place where great men used to exercise summary punishment upon their servants; ‘To the porter’s lodge with him!’, Fletcher, Maid in the Mill, v. 2 (Don Philippo); Massinger, Duke of Milan, iii. 2 (Graccho).
portesse, a portable breviary which can be taken out of doors. Bible, Translators’ Preface, 9; Stubbes, Anat. Abuses (ed. 1882, 77). ME. portos (Chaucer, C. T. B. 1321); portos, ‘portiforium’ (Prompt. EETS. 342, see note, no. 1662). OF. portehors (Godefroy), Church L. portiforium (Ducange). See Dict.
portmantua, a ‘portmanteau’. Middleton, A Mad World, ii. 2 (Mawworm).
port-sale, public sale to the highest bidder; ‘The soldiers making portsale of their service to him that would give most’, North, tr. of Plutarch, M. Brutus, § 18 (in Shaks. Plut., p. 124); ‘Persons were sold out-right in port-sale under the guirland’ (sub corona veniere), Holland, Livy, xli. 1103; see NED. (s.v. Port, sb.2).
possede, to possess. Sir T. Elyot, Governour, bk. iii, c. 3, § 2.
possess, to put one in possession of a fact. Meas. for M. iv. 1. 44; Merch. of Ven. i. 3. 65; King John, iv. 2. 41.