rice bowl

noun5

1. •
   A small bowl from which rice is typically eaten.
2. •
   A dish (typically eaten from a bowl) of which rice is a primary ingredient, such as donburi.
3. •
   (figurative) A region that produces abundant rice.
4. •
   (figurative) A person's livelihood or source of income.
5. •
   (slang) A jealously defended institutional resource such as a program, project, or budget.