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   Dole

   /dōl/

   

   noun

   • 1. benefit paid by the government to the unemployed: informal British "they are receiving the dole" Similar unemployment benefitstate benefitgovernment benefitbenefitbenefit paymentssocial securitysocial security paymentspublic assistance allowanceallowancewelfareinsurance moneygrantfinancial assistancethe buroothe broo
   • ▪ a charitable gift of food, clothes, or money: dated "the customary dole was a tumblerful of rice"
   • 2. a person's lot or destiny: literary "death be his dole who worst maintains the strife"

   verb

   • 1. distribute shares of something: "the scanty portions of food doled out to them"

   Word Origin Old Englishdāl ‘division, portion, or share’, of Germanic origin; related to deal1. The sense ‘distribution of charitable gifts’ dates from Middle English; the sense ‘unemployment benefit’ dates from the early 20th century.

   Scrabble Points: 5

   • D

     2

   • O

     1

   • L

     1

   • E

     1

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