Rationing

[rash-uh n, rey-shuh n] /ˈræʃ ən, ˈreɪ ʃən/

noun
1.
a fixed allowance of provisions or food, especially for soldiers or sailors or for civilians during a shortage:
a daily ration of meat and bread.
2.
an allotted amount:
They finally saved up enough gas rations for the trip.
3.
rations.

verb (used with object)
4.
to supply, apportion, or distribute as rations (often followed by out):
to ration out food to an army.
5.
to supply or provide with rations:
to ration an army with food.
6.
to restrict the consumption of (a commodity, food, etc.):
to ration meat during war.
7.
to restrict the consumption of (a consumer):
The civilian population was rationed while the war lasted.
/ˈræʃən/
noun
1.

2.
a sufficient or adequate amount: you’ve had your ration of television for today
verb (transitive)
3.
(often foll by out) to distribute (provisions), esp to an army
4.
to restrict the distribution or consumption of (a commodity) by (people): the government has rationed sugar, sugar is short, so I’ll have to ration you
n.

“restriction to limited allotments,” 1865, verbal noun from ration (v.). Specifically of restrictions during wartime from 1917, from conditions in England during World War I.
n.

1550, “reasoning,” later, “relation of one number to another” (1660s), then “fixed allowance of food” (1702, often rations, from French ration in this sense), from Latin rationem (nominative ratio) “a reckoning, calculation, proportion” (see ratio). The military pronunciation (rhymes with fashion) took over from the preferred civilian pronunciation (rhymes with nation) during World War I.
v.

“put (someone) on a fixed allowance,” 1859, from ration (n.); sense of “apportion in fixed amounts” is from 1870. Related: Rationed; rationing.

A regulated allocation of resources among possible users.

Note: The U.S. government has engaged in rationing usually only under conditions of extreme shortage or economic hardship; certain resources were rationed, for example, during World War II.