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dole
1[ dohl ]
noun
- a portion or allotment of money, food, etc., especially as given at regular intervals by a charity or for maintenance.
Synonyms: , ,
- a dealing out or distributing, especially in charity.
- a form of payment to the unemployed instituted by the British government in 1918.
- any similar payment by a government to an unemployed person.
- Archaic. one's fate or destiny.
verb (used with object)
- to distribute in charity.
- to give out sparingly or in small quantities (usually followed by out ):
The last of the water was doled out to the thirsty crew.
Synonyms: ,
dole
2[ dohl ]
noun
- grief or sorrow; lamentation.
Dole
3[ dohl ]
noun
- Robert J(oseph), 1923–2021, U.S. politician: senator 1969–96.
- Sanford Ballard, 1844–1926, U.S. politician and jurist in Hawaii: president of Republic of Hawaii 1894–98; first territorial governor 1900–03.
dole
1/ əʊ /
noun
- a small portion or share, as of money or food, given to a poor person
- the act of giving or distributing such portions
- the dole informal.money received from the state while out of work
- on the dole informal.receiving such money
- archaic.fate
verb
- trusually foll byout to distribute, esp in small portions
dole
2/ əʊ /
noun
- archaic.grief or mourning
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of dole1
Origin of dole2
Idioms and Phrases
- on the dole, receiving payment from the government, as relief:
They couldn't afford any luxuries while living on the dole.
Example Sentences
Today’s tax filing deadline is usually a dreaded experience for taxpayers who have to dole out a big chunk of dough to the government.
Green Day doled out a few new tunes from last year’s “Saviors,” including “Bobby Sox,” which the frontman has described as a kind of queer love song.
The USDA’s program began doling out grants to states and tribal governments in 2022, in an attempt to decentralize and diversify food supply chains after the strain of the pandemic.
In the meantime, Jasso and her colleagues doled out hot instant soup, fresh fruit and backpacks through the slots in the fence.
Musk has fired back on his social media platform, X, doling out blame for the attacks on Democrats and others.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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