verb
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, ↑deal, ↑parcel out, ↑lot, ↑dispense, ↑shell out, ↑deal out, ↑dish 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:
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Somebody ——s something
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Somebody ——s something to somebody
* * *
ˌmete ˈout [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they mete out he/she/it metes out present participle meting out past tense meted out past participle meted out] formal phrasal verb
to give a punishment to someone
The same treatment should be meted out to politicians who break the rules.
Main entry: mete
* * *
mete out [phrasal verb]
mete (something) out or mete out (something) : to give (something) to the people who you decide should get it : to give out or distribute (something)
We're trying to be fair in meting out rewards and punishments.
— usually used to refer to something unpleasant (such as punishment)
Huge fines were meted out as punishment.
The king meted out justice as he saw fit.
• • •
Main Entry: ↑mete
Useful english dictionary. 2012.