DISPENSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dispense mean? 

• DISPENSE (verb)
  The verb DISPENSE has 3 senses:

1. administer or bestow, as in small portions

2. grant a dispensation; grant an exemption

3. give or apply (medications)

  Familiarity information: DISPENSE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISPENSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they dispense    ... he / she / it dispenses   
Past simple: dispensed   
Past participle: dispensed   
-ing form: dispensing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Administer or bestow, as in small portions

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

administer; allot; deal; deal out; dish out; dispense; distribute; dole out; lot; mete out; parcel out; shell out

Context example:

the machine dispenses soft drinks

Hypernyms (to "dispense" is one way to...):

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dispense"):

allot; assign; portion (give out)

reallot (allot again)

deal (distribute cards to the players in a game)

apply; give (give or convey physically)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

dispensation (the act of dispensing (giving out in portions))

dispensation (a share that has been dispensed or distributed)

dispenser (a container so designed that the contents can be used in prescribed amounts)

dispenser (a person who dispenses)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Grant a dispensation; grant an exemption

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

I was dispensed from this terrible task

Hypernyms (to "dispense" is one way to...):

exempt; free; relieve (grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody PP

Also:

dispense with (do without or cease to hold or adhere to)

Derivation:

dispensation (an exemption from some rule or obligation)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Give or apply (medications)

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

administer; dispense

Hypernyms (to "dispense" is one way to...):

care for; treat (provide treatment for)

"Dispense" entails doing...:

apply; give (give or convey physically)

Domain category:

medicine; practice of medicine (the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or alleviating or curing diseases and injuries)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dispense"):

transfuse (give a transfusion (e.g., of blood) to)

digitalize (administer digitalis such that the patient benefits maximally without getting adverse effects)

inject; shoot (give an injection to)

give (give (as medicine))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

dispensary (clinic where medicine and medical supplies are dispensed)

dispensation (the act of dispensing (giving out in portions))

dispensation (a share that has been dispensed or distributed)

 Context examples 

The volume of a drop depends on the physical properties of the liquid dispensed, the dispenser device, and the technique used to produce the drop.

(Drop, NCI Thesaurus)

A suspension prepared immediately prior to dispensing or administration in a drop-wise fashion.

(Drop Suspension Final Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A character or string used to name or characterize the reference identifier for a dispensed treatment label with regards to a drug accountability assessment.

(Drug Accountability Dispensed Treatment Label Identifier Reference, NCI Thesaurus)

Data regarding the accountability of study drug, such as information on the receipt, dispensing, return, and packaging.

(Drug Accountability Domain, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

A vial that is used by the pharmacist to dispense the prescribed medication.

(Dispensing Vial, NCI Thesaurus)

An activity defined at a global library level that is an action of applying, dispensing or otherwise giving medications or other substances.

(Defined Substance Administration, NCI Thesaurus)

The quantity of a product that has been dispensed.

(Dispensed Amount, NCI Thesaurus)

Her younger sisters soon began to make interest with her for objects of happiness which she might in future be able to dispense.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

A bottle that is used by the pharmacist to dispense the prescribed medication.

(Dispensing Bottle, NCI Thesaurus)

The drug accountability information that indicates the date that the study treatment was dispensed.

(Drug Accountability Treatment Dispensation Date, NCI Thesaurus)