verb
administer or bestow, as in small portions (Freq. 1)
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administer critical remarks to everyone present
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dole out some money
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shell out pocket money for the children
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deal a blow to someone
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the machine dispenses soft drinks
• Syn:
↑distribute, ↑administer, ↑mete out, ↑deal, ↑parcel out, ↑lot, ↑dispense, ↑shell out, ↑deal out, ↑dish out, ↑allot
• Derivationally related forms:
↑allotment (for: ↑allot), ↑dispensation (for: ↑dispense), ↑dispenser (for: ↑dispense), ↑deal (for: ↑deal), ↑distribution (for: ↑distribute), ↑distributor (for: ↑distribute), ↑distributer (for: ↑distribute)
• Hypernyms: ↑give
• Hyponyms:
• Verb Frames:
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Somebody ——s something
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Somebody ——s something to somebody
* * *
ˌdole ˈout [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they dole out he/she/it doles out present participle doling out past tense doled out past participle doled out] informal phrasal verb
to give something, such as food or money, to a particular group of people or to every person in a group
The government has agreed to dole out an additional £5 million to schools.
Main entry: dole
* * *
dole out [phrasal verb]
She is always doling out advice on relationships.
The organization has doled out millions of dollars in grants.
The agency doles out [=hands out, distributes] food to thousands of needy families each year.
• • •
Main Entry: ↑dole
Useful english dictionary. 2012.