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

Synonyms:

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

American Heritage

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to 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