dole

[ dohl ]

/ doʊl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dole ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a portion or allotment of money, food, etc., especially as given at regular intervals by a charity or for maintenance.

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), doled, dol·ing.

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.

Idioms for dole

on the dole, receiving payment from the government, as relief: They couldn't afford any luxuries while living on the dole.

Origin of dole

before 1000; Middle English dol, Old English gedāl sharing; cf. deal¹

SYNONYMS FOR dole

1 share, pittance.

7 ration.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dole ON THESAURUS.COM

Words nearby dole

dolce, dolce far niente, dolce vita, dolcelatte, doldrums, dole, dole bludger, dole cupboard, doleful, dolente, dolerite

Definition for dole (2 of 3)

dole ²

[ dohl ]

/ doʊl /

noun Archaic.

grief or sorrow; lamentation.

Origin of dole

1200–50; Middle English do(e)l < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin dolus, for Latin dolor dolor

Definition for dole (3 of 3)

Dole

[ dohl ]

/ doʊl /

noun

Robert J(oseph),born 1923, 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.

Example sentences from the Web for dole

I was also involved in the origins of the Dole Institute of Politics at Kansas University.

This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art |Scott Porch |November 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
These labels matter, but so does our over-zealous urge to dole them out and endlessly dwell on them.

Lena Vs. The Feminist Police |Amy Zimmerman |November 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A month before the Ethics Committee vote that McConnell boasts about today, he and Dole were publicly defending Packwood.

And Now Mitch McConnell Is the ‘Pro-Woman’ Candidate! |Eleanor Clift |October 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
“There can be no question that the trendiest trend of our popular culture is the return of drug use,” Dole said.

The Secrets of ‘Pulp Fiction’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Movie on Its 20th Anniversary |Marlow Stern |October 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

But I hope enough Kansans remember what Roberts did to Dole when the latter was counting on him most.

Dole, Nazis, and Desperation in Kansas |Michael Tomasky |September 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He made the ink, and could dole it out not only to the brethren but to lay folk if they asked for it civilly.

Old English Libraries |Ernest Savage
Your father and my uncle hath made motions: 217 if it be my luck, so; if not, happy man be his dole!

The Merry Wives of Windsor |William Shakespeare
At the same sitting, he applied to Commissioner Dole for new instructions246.

The American Indian as Participant in the Civil War |Annie Heloise Abel
With many a pastime they whiled the hours away, but still her love constrained him and often gave him dole.

The Nibelungenlied |Unknown
And then four girls ought to sit on the top of each barrel, and dole out the wine from where they sit in long-eared rummers.

A Hungarian Nabob |Maurus Jkai

British Dictionary definitions for dole (1 of 2)

dole ¹

/ (dəʊl) /

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 British informal money received from the state while out of work

on the dole British informal receiving such money

archaic fate

verb

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

Word Origin for dole

Old English dāl share; related to Old Saxon dēl, Old Norse deild, Gothic dails, Old High German teil; see deal 1

British Dictionary definitions for dole (2 of 2)

dole ²

/ (dəʊl) /

noun

archaic grief or mourning

Word Origin for dole

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin dolus, from Latin dolēre to lament

BROWSE DICTIONARY

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dole