dole¹ Definition
dole (dōl)
noun
- a giving out of money or food to those in great need; relief
- that which is thus given out
- anything given out sparingly
- a form of payment by a government to the unemployed, as in England: usually preceded by the
- Archaic one's destiny or lot
Etymology: ME dol < OE dal, a share, parallel to dæl: see deal
transitive verb doled, dol′·ing
to give sparingly or as a dole: usually with out
dole¹ Idioms
on the dole
receiving government relief funds
dole² Definition
dole (dōl)
dole Synonyms
dole Usage Examples
Object
- scrounger: Creative forces felt compelled to speak out against the Tory moral panic against " dole scroungers " , or Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative.
- queue: How would you ensure the dole queues in South Tyneside do not increase?
- office: Where the parties can be in a quarry in East London, a disused cinema or an old dole office.
- money: We dole money out to help support ourselves, really.
- cupboard: We enter through it, past the dole cupboard of John Sayer, 1638.
- scum: With Robert's status as dole scum apparently assured, the Snells are tightening their belts.
Modifies a noun
- check: What are you expecting, the government to hand you out a nice flat with your dole check?
- money: Quentin Crisp, who died last November and who once worked as a map tracer until he could draw his 15s 3d dole money.
- queue: Defense procurement can not be a short term palliative to the dole queue.
Modifying Another Word
- not: The United States will not dole out any rewards to convince North Korea to live up to its existing obligations.
- no: My father, being self employed, had no dole to fall back on, no assistance from the state at all.
Particle object:
- money: In short, the next generation of the university RAE should dole out money by looking far into the past.
- punishment: These weapons are some of the most lethal in the game and will allow Bishop or Sheila to dole out some serious punishment.
- cash: And maybe â just maybe â it would have been worth doling out the cash.
- advice: DEAR JOHN 28 June 2006 JOHN Husband and his team dole out sound money advice.
- credit: No problem for the banks and lenders tho, they just dole out some more credit and make a quick buck while they can!
- pill: If the worst happens, any pharmacy will dole out pills to hurry you back to health.
Used with why or when
when: All of us were only a month away from the dole when the group finished.
Preposition: of
bread: The £ 10 belonging to eight poor persons of this parish is distributed by the churchwardens in weekly doles of bread.
Preposition: for
year: I've been on the dole for a year.
Browse dictionary entries near dole
- ‹ doldrums
- ‹ dolce vita
- ‹ dolce far niente
- ‹ dolce
- ‹ Dolby
- ‹ dolabriform
- ‹ dojo
- ‹ doit
- ‹ doings
- ‹ doing business as
- dole out ›
- doleful ›
- dolerite ›
- dolichocephalic ›
- doll ›
- doll up ›
- dollar ›
- dollar averaging ›
- dollar bear ›
- dollar bond ›

