dole

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Charitable dispensation of goods, especially money, food, or clothing.
2. n. A share of money, food, or clothing that has been charitably given.
3. n. Chiefly British The distribution by the government of relief payments to the unemployed; welfare.
4. n. Archaic One's fate.
5. v. To dispense as charity.
6. v. To give out in small portions; distribute sparingly. See Synonyms at distribute.
7. idiom. on the dole Receiving regular relief payments from or as if from the government.
8. n. Archaic Sorrow; grief; dolor.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A part apportioned or divided out; portion; share; lot; fortune: same as deal
2. n. In mining, one of the shares or parts into which a parcel of ore is divided for distribution among the various persons to whom it belongs.
3. n. A portion of money, food, or other things distributed in charity; what is given in charity; alms; gratuity.
4. n. The act of dealing out or distributing: as, the power of dole and donative.
5. To give in portions or small quantities, as alms to the poor; apportion; distribute; deal: commonly with out: often implying that what is distributed is limited in quantity or is given grudgingly.
6. n. Grief; sorrow; lamentation; mourning.
7. n. Specifically The moaning of doves.
8. n. In falconry, a flock of turtle-doves.
9. n. In Scots law, malevolent intention; malice.
10. n. A boundary; a landmark.
11. n. The goal in a game.
12. n. A strip of land left unplowed between two plowed portions; a broad balk.
13. n. A part or portion of a meadow in which several persons have shares. See dole-meadow.
14. n. A low flat place.
15. To pare and thin (leather or skins).

Wiktionary

1. v. To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.
2. n. Money or other goods given as charity.
3. n. informal Payment by the state to the unemployed.
4. n. archaic Sorrow or grief; dolour.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Archaic grief; sorrow; lamentation.
2. n. (Scots Law) See dolus.
3. n. Distribution; dealing; apportionment.
4. n. That which is dealt out; a part, share, or portion also, a scanty share or allowance.
5. n. Alms; charitable gratuity or portion.
6. n. A boundary; a landmark.
7. n. A void space left in tillage.
8. v. To deal out in small portions; to distribute, as a dole; to deal out scantily or grudgingly.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. money received from the state
2. n. a share of money or food or clothing that has been charitably given