dole
[noun]
Synonyms:
- benefit, allowance, gift, grant, handout
[verb]
Synonyms:
- dole out: give out, allocate, allot, apportion, assign, dispense, distribute, hand out

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. dole¹ /dəʊl $ doʊl/ noun [uncountable] informal

1. British English money given by the government in Britain to people who are unemployed
be/go on the dole (=be unemployed and receiving money from the government)
Too many young people are still on the dole.
The number claiming dole went up by 3,500.

2. the dole queue/dole queues British English the number of people who are unemployed and claiming money from the government, or a line of people waiting to claim this money each week:
As two factories closed today, 500 people joined the dole queue.
Dole queues lengthened.

3. the dole American English money given by the government in the US to people who need financial help Synonym : welfare
on the dole
How many people are on the public dole?

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. dole² verb
[Language: Old English; Origin: dal 'part, share']
dole something ↔ out phrasal verb informal
to give something such as money, food, advice etc to more than one person
dole something ↔ out to
Vera was doling out candy to all the kids.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

dole
noun
VERB + DOLE claim, go on, sign on She lost her job and had to claim dole. As soon as he was made redundant, he signed on the dole.
draw, get The factory closure will mean another few hundred people drawing the dole.
DOLE + NOUN money | queue School leavers were joining the dole queue every day.
office
PREP. off the ~ Many had come off the dole and set up their own small businesses.
on the ~ She was on the dole for three years before she got a job.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲