verb
1. administer or bestow, as in small portions
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administer critical remarks to everyone present
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dole out some money
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shell out pocket money for the children
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deal a blow to someone
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the machine dispenses soft drinks
• Syn:
↑distribute, ↑administer, ↑mete out, ↑deal, ↑parcel out, ↑lot, ↑dispense, ↑shell out, ↑deal out, ↑allot, ↑dole out
• Derivationally related forms:
↑allotment (for: ↑allot), ↑dispensation (for: ↑dispense), ↑dispenser (for: ↑dispense), ↑deal (for: ↑deal), ↑distribution (for: ↑distribute), ↑distributor (for: ↑distribute), ↑distributer (for: ↑distribute)
• Hypernyms: ↑give
• Hyponyms:
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
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Somebody ——s something to somebody
2. provide (usually but not necessarily food)
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We serve meals for the homeless
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She dished out the soup at 8 P.M.
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The entertainers served up a lively show
• Hyponyms: ↑plank
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
-
The chefs dish out the vegetables
* * *
dish out [phrasal verb]
1 : to serve (food)
The restaurant dishes out more than 500 meals every night.
2 : to give (something) freely or in large amounts
She dishes out advice to anyone who'll listen.
He's always dishing out money and gifts to his grandchildren.
3 dish it out : to criticize other people
He can dish it out, but he can't take it. [=he likes to criticize other people, but he doesn't like being criticized]
• • •
Main Entry: ↑dish
Useful english dictionary. 2012.