Definitions for dispense
dɪˈspɛnsdis·pense

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

1. distribute, administer, mete out, deal, parcel out, lot, dispense, shell out, deal out, dish out, allot, dole outverb

   administer or bestow, as in small portions

   "administer critical remarks to everyone present"; "dole out some money"; "shell out pocket money for the children"; "deal a blow to someone"; "the machine dispenses soft drinks"

2. dispenseverb

   grant a dispensation; grant an exemption

   "I was dispensed from this terrible task"

3. administer, dispenseverb

   give or apply (medications)

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. dispensenoun

   Cost, expenditure.

2. dispensenoun

   The act of dispensing, dispensation.

3. dispenseverb

   To issue, distribute, or put out.

4. dispenseverb

   To supply or make up a medicine or prescription.

5. dispenseverb

   To eliminate or do without–used intransitively with with.

   I wish he would dispense with the pleasantries and get to the point.

6. dispenseverb

   To give a dispensation to (someone) to do something against the law.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dispensenoun

   Dispensation; exemption.

   Etymology: from the verb.

   Then reliques, beads,
   Indulgences, dispenses, pardons, bulls,
   The sport of winds. John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. iii.

2. To DISPENSEverb

   Etymology: despenser, French

   1. To deal out; to distribute.

   Those now, that were dispens’d,
   The burden of many ages, on me light
   At once, by my foreknowledge. John Milton, Paradise Lost.

   Those to whom Christ has committed the dispensing of his gospel. Decay of Piety.

   At length the muses stand restor’d again
   While you dispense the laws and guide the state. Dryden.

   To them but earth-born life they did dispense,
   To us, for mutual aid, celestial sense. Nahum Tate, Juvenal.

   2. To make up a medicine.3. To Dispense with. To excuse; to grant dispensation for; to allow.

   To save a brother’s life,
   Nature dispenses with the deed. William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure.

   How few kingdoms are there, wherein, by dispensing with oaths, absolving subjects from allegiance, and cursing, or threatning to curse, as long as their curses were regarded, the popes have not wrought innumerable mischiefs? Walter Raleigh, Ess.

   Rules of words may be dispensed with. Isaac Watts, Logick.

   4. To Dispense with. To clear from; to set free from an obligation. This construction seems ungrammatical.

   I could not dispense with myself from making a voyage to Caprea. Joseph Addison, Remarks on Italy.

   5. To Dispense with. To obtain a dispensation from; to come to agreement with.This structure is irregular, unless it be here supposed to mean, as it may, to discount; to pay an equivalent.

   Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me?
   Canst thou dispense with heav’n for such an oath? William Shakespeare, H. VI.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dispense

   Dispense generally refers to the act of distributing or supplying something. It can be used in various contexts such as, dispensing medication, advice, justice, or items from a vending machine. In broader terms, it means to manage, deal, or allot in portions.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dispenseverb

   to deal out in portions; to distribute; to give; as, the steward dispenses provisions according directions; Nature dispenses her bounties; to dispense medicines

2. Dispenseverb

   to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct

3. Dispenseverb

   to pay for; to atone for

4. Dispenseverb

   to exempt; to excuse; to absolve; -- with from

5. Dispenseverb

   to compensate; to make up; to make amends

6. Dispenseverb

   to give dispensation

7. Dispenseverb

   dispensation; exemption

8. Dispensenoun

   expense; profusion; outlay

9. Etymology: [OF. despense, F. dpense.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Dispense

   dis-pens′, v.t. to deal out in portions: to distribute: to administer: (Spens.) to pay for.—n. expense: profession: abundance.—adj. Dispensed′.—n. Dispens′er.—Dispense with, to permit the want of: to do without. [Fr. dispenser—L. dis, asunder, pensare, inten. of pendĕre, to weigh.]

Matched Categories

1. • Exempt
   • Medicine
   • Treat

Anagrams for dispense »

1. piedness

How to pronounce dispense?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say dispense in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of dispense in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of dispense in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of dispense in a Sentence

1. Cyril Connolly:

   The only happy talkers are dandies who extract pleasure from the very perishability of their material and who would not be able to tolerate the isolation of all other forms of composition; for most good talkers, when they have run down, are miserable; they know that they have betrayed themselves, that they have taken material which should have a life of its own, to dispense it in noises upon the air.

2. John Cornyn:

   Every action has a reaction and in this case it is simple justice, they've made their beds so let's dispense with the outrage.

3. Adam Fein:

   The future of pharmacy is really about being a low cost buyer of generic drugs and capability to dispense specialty drugs and that is an area of challenge for several supermarket operators.

4. Niall Mottram:

   Being able to hit a moving target is challenging. And hitting a moving target that varies in appearance is even more so. So being able to differentiate from color and shape, and then being able to calculate how quickly you're moving and therefore at what point you should dispense so that you hit your target; that requires some pretty sophisticated algorithms.

5. Charles Babcock:

   Every one of them tested the same, which is what was impressive, especially considering the fact that we had actually dispensed these products to patients, i dispense naloxone to patients all the time, and I had a couple come in after it had expired, and they had used it, and people were brought back to life.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=dispense
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dispense
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=dispense
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispense
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=dispense