Dole Definition

dōl
doled, doles, doling
noun
doles
A giving out of money or food to those in great need; relief.
Webster's New World
That which is thus given out.
Webster's New World
A form of government aid to the unemployed, as in England.
Webster's New World
Anything given out sparingly.
Webster's New World
One's destiny or lot.
Webster's New World
verb
doled, doles, doling
To give out, especially in portions or shares; allot or distribute. Often used with out:
The mayor doled out jobs to those who had supported him in the election.
American Heritage
To give sparingly or as a dole.
Webster's New World
To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.
Wiktionary
idiom
on the dole
  • Receiving regular relief payments from or as if from the government.
American Heritage

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Dole

  • on the dole

Origin of Dole

  • From Middle English dol, from Old English dāl (“portion, share, division, allotment”), from Proto-Germanic *dailą (“part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dhAil- (“part, watershed”). Cognate with Albanian thelë (“portion, piece”) and Old Church Slavonic [script?] (dola), [script?] (dilu, “part”). More at deal.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English dol from Old French dol, deul from Late Latin dolus from Latin dolēre to feel pain, grieve

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English dole (“grief”), from Old French doel (compare French deuil), from Late Latin dolus, from Latin doleo.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English dol part, share from Old English dāl dail- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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