dole








noun

  1. a portion or allotment of money, food, etc., especially as given at regular intervals by a charity or for maintenance.
  2. a dealing out or distributing, especially in charity.
  3. a form of payment to the unemployed instituted by the British government in 1918.
  4. any similar payment by a government to an unemployed person.
  5. Archaic. one’s fate or destiny.

verb (used with object), doled, dol·ing.

  1. to distribute in charity.
  2. to give out sparingly or in small quantities (usually followed by out): The last of the water was doled out to the thirsty crew.
Idioms
  1. on the dole, receiving payment from the government, as relief: They couldn’t afford any luxuries while living on the dole.

noun Archaic.

  1. grief or sorrow; lamentation.

noun

  1. Robert J(oseph),born 1923, U.S. politician: senator 1969–96.
  2. Sanford Ballard,1844–1926, U.S. politician and jurist in Hawaii: president of Republic of Hawaii 1894–98; first territorial governor 1900–03.

noun

  1. a small portion or share, as of money or food, given to a poor person
  2. the act of giving or distributing such portions
  3. the dole British informal money received from the state while out of work
  4. on the dole British informal receiving such money
  5. archaic fate

verb

  1. (tr usually foll by out) to distribute, esp in small portions

noun

  1. archaic grief or mourning
n.

Old English dal “state of being divided; sharing, giving out,” shortened from gedal “portion,” related to dæl “deal,” from Proto-Germanic *dailiz (cf. Old Frisian and Old Saxon del, Middle Dutch deil, Dutch deel, Old High German teil, German Teil). On the dole is 1920s.

v.

“hand out charity,” mid-15c., from dole (n.). Related: Doled; doling.

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