dole
dole Lexical Profile
dole Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British Benefit money paid regularly by the government to the unemployed (usually preceded by 'the', as in 'on the dole').
"After the factory closed down, hundreds of former workers found themselves on the dole."
Something, such as food, money, or clothing, distributed in small or measured portions as charity.
"The parish distributed a weekly dole of bread and coal to indigent families during the harsh winter."
Deep grief, sorrow, or lamentation (archaic or literary).
"In medieval romances, the knights often expressed great dole over their fallen companions."
• verb
To distribute or hand out in small or measured portions (usually followed by 'out').
"The committee carefully doled out the remaining grant funds among the local community projects."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, 'dole' is almost exclusively used with the adverbial particle 'out' (as in 'dole out'), often implying that portions or funds are distributed sparingly or reluctantly. The archaic sense meaning 'grief' or 'sorrow' comes from a completely separate Latin root via Old French and survives today mainly in the adjective 'doleful'.
• Rhymes for dole
Word Origin & Etymology
The sense relating to a portion or charitable distribution derives from Old English dāl ('portion, share'), which is cognate with 'deal'. The literary sense meaning 'sorrow' or 'grief' is an unrelated homonym borrowed from Old French doel, ultimately from Latin dolere ('to grieve or suffer pain').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.