dole

/doʊl/

/dəʊl/

Other forms: doled; doling; doles

Dole is a charitable donation or support, like the dole governments provide to victims of natural disasters. Dole is also a verb meaning "distribute," so you might dole out your leftover Halloween candy to your little sisters.

In Britain, unemployment benefits and other government aid is commonly known as "the dole." In the U.S., the noun dole is rare, but when it's used it means "any charitable gift." When local businesses hold a toy drive during the winter holidays, those donations are dole given to needy families. As a verb, dole is most commonly used in the phrasal verb "dole out," although you'll sometimes see it used on its own.

Definitions of dole

1. noun

   a share of money or food or clothing that has been charitably given
   type of:

   part, percentage, portion, share

   assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group
2. noun

   money received from the state
   synonyms: pogey, pogy

   type of:

   public assistance, social welfare, welfare

   governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need
3. verb

   administer or bestow, as in small portions
   synonyms: administer, allot, deal, deal out, dish out, dispense, distribute, dole out, lot, mete, mete out, parcel out, shell out

   types:

   allot, assign, portion

   give out

   reallot

   allot again

   deal

   distribute cards to the players in a game

   apply, give

   give or convey physically

   allow, appropriate, earmark, reserve, set aside

   give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

   allocate, apportion

   distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose

   misdeal

   deal cards wrongly

   tread

   apply (the tread) to a tire

   administer

   perform (a church sacrament) ritually

   type of:

   give

   transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody