dole - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Middle English dol, from Old English dāl (“portion, share, division, allotment”), from Proto-Germanic *dailą (“part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰayl- (“part, watershed”). Cognate with Old Church Slavonic дѣлити (děliti, “divide”). More at deal.

dole (third-person singular simple present doles, present participle doling, simple past and past participle doled)

  1. To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.

to distribute in small amounts

dole

  1. Money or other goods given as charity.
  2. Distribution; dealing; apportionment.
  3. (informal) Payment by the state to the unemployed; unemployment benefits.
    Synonyms: (UK) pancrack, (Canada) pogey
    I get my dole paid twice a week.
    I've been on the dole for two years now.
    • 1986, Morrissey, Johnny Marr (lyrics and music), “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”, in The Queen is Dead, performed by The Smiths:
      From the ice age to the dole age / There is but one concern / I have just discovered
    • 1996, Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes, page 107:
      The men sit because they′re worn out from walking to the Labour Exchange every morning to sign for the dole, discussing the world’s problems and wondering what to do with the rest of the day.
    • 2002, “Has It Come to This?”, in Mike Skinner (lyrics), Original Pirate Material, performed by The Streets:
      Sort your shit out, then roll / Sex, drugs, and on the dole / Some men rise, some men fall
  4. A boundary; a landmark.
    • 1559, “Injunctions Given by the Queens Majesty, Concerning both the Clergy and Laity, of This Realm, Published Anno Domini Mdlix. being the First Year of the Raign of Our Soveraign Lady Queen _Elizabeth_”, in Anth[ony] Sparrow, compiler, A Collection of Articles, Injunctions, Canons, Orders, Ordinances, & Constitutions Ecclesiastical, with Other Publick Records of the Church of England, […], 4th edition, London: […] Blanch Rawlet […], published 1684, →OCLC, paragraph 19, page 73:
      Curſed be he which tranſlateth the bounds and dolles of his Neighbor.
  5. (British, dialectal) A void space left in tillage.

(payment to support the unemployed):

money or goods given as charity

unemployment benefit

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

dole (uncountable)

  1. (archaic) A sorrow or grief; dolour.
    • 1485, Thomas Malory, William Caxton, Le Morte Darthur, Book IX, Chapter xvii, leaf 183r:
      Syr said sir gyngalyn I wote not what knyȝt he was / but wel I wote that he sygheth and maketh grete dole.
      "Sir, said Sir Gingalin, I wot not what knight he was, but well I wot that he sigheth, and maketh great dole."
  2. (law, Scotland) Dolus.

dole

  1. down (at a lower place or position)
    Antonym: nahoře

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

dole m

  1. vocative/locative singular of důl

dole

  1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of dolen

dole

  1. inflection of doler:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

dolē

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of doleō

dole

  1. locative singular of doł

dole f

  1. nominative/accusative/vocative plural of dola

dole m inan

  1. locative/vocative singular of dół

dȍle (Cyrillic spelling до̏ле)

  1. down
  2. below

dȍle (Cyrillic spelling до̏ле)

  1. down
    Dol(j)e s vladom!
    Down with the government!

From Middle English dol, from Old English dāl, from Proto-Germanic *dailą.

dole

  1. deal
    Synonym: daal
    • 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 36:
    • 1867, “BIT OF DIALOGUE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 111:
      Aar's a dole o' sneow apa greound to-die.
      There is a deal of snow upon the ground to-day.

dole f

  1. A lake.