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# dole

noun (the dole) (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ informal); verb (dole out: dole, doles, doled, doling)

«dole» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal, UK/Ireland/Australia/NZ) Money that the government pays to people who have no job: «on the dole». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#m1)
2. (verb, «dole out») To give out small amounts of something, such as food, money or jobs, to several people. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#m2)
3. (old) A share of food or money given to the poor. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday British, Irish and Australian talk «on the dole» means out of work and living on government money; the formal name is «unemployment benefit» or «Jobseeker's Allowance». In stories and at home, a parent «doles out» sweets or chores. Phrases: «on the dole», «go on the dole», «dole queue», «dole out».

### Examples

- (UK) After the factory closed, he was on the dole for a year. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#x1)
- Mum doled out the chocolates, two each. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#x2)
- The teacher doled out the worksheets. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#x3)
- (Ireland) She signed on the dole while looking for work. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#x4)
- The dinner lady doled out the mashed potato. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#x5)
- (Australia) He's been on the dole since leaving school. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/#x6)

### Note

Informal in the money sense; formal: «unemployment benefit». «Dole out» is the common verb form; past «doled out». Do not confuse with «doll» (a toy). In maths, doling out equally is sharing (division): 24 sweets doled out to 6 children is 4 each.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dole» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dole/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dole» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dole.html) on Mova free.