dispense

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: dis=pense

OXFORD DICTIONARY

dispense, v.
1 tr. distribute; deal out.
2 tr. administer (a sacrament, justice, etc.).
3 tr. make up and give out (medicine etc.) according to a doctor's prescription.
4 tr. (usu. foll. by from) grant a dispensation to (a person) from an obligation, esp. a religious observance.
5 intr. (foll. by with) a do without; render needless. b give exemption from (a rule).

Idiom

dispensing chemist a chemist qualified to make up and give out medicine etc.

Etymology

ME f. OF despenser f. L dispensare frequent. of dispendere weigh or pay out (as DIS-, pendere pens- weigh)

THESAURUS

dispense

OK, abolish, abstain from, accord, administer, admit, afford, allocate, allot, allow, apply, apportion, assign, award, bestow, bestow on, bestrew, broadcast, cancel, carry out, circumfuse, communicate, conduct, confer, consent, deal, deal out, diffract, diffuse, direct, disburse, discharge, dish out, dispense with, disperse, dispose, dispose of, dispread, disseminate, distribute, diverge, divide, divvy, do away with, do without, dole, dole out, donate, eliminate, enforce, eschew, execute, extend, fan out, forgo, fork out, forswear, furnish, get rid of, gift, gift with, give, give away, give freely, give leave, give out, give permission, give the go-ahead, give the word, give up, grant, hand out, hawk, heap, help to, huckster, ignore, impart, implement, issue, lavish, leave, let, let have, make possible, measure, measure out, mete, mete out, offer, okay, operate, overscatter, oversow, overspread, parcel out, pass around, pass out, pay out, peddle, permit, portion out, pour, present, proffer, propagate, provide, publish, radiate, rain, refuse, reject, release, relinquish, remove, render, renounce, retail, say the word, scatter, serve, share out, shell out, shower, slip, snow, sow, sow broadcast, spare, splay, spoon out, spread, spread out, strew, superintend, supervise, supply, tender, utter, vend, vouchsafe, waive, yield

ROGET THESAURUS

dispense

Dispersion

VB disperse, scatter, sow, broadcast, disseminate, diffuse, shed, spread, bestrew, overspread, dispense, disband, disembody, dismember, distribute, apportion, blow off, let out, dispel, cast forth, draught off, strew, straw, strow, ted, spirtle, cast, sprinkle, issue, deal out, retail, utter, resperse, intersperse, set abroach, circumfuse, turn adrift, cast adrift, scatter to the winds, spread like wildfire, disperse themselves.

Giving

VB deliver, hand, pass, put into the hands of, hand over, make over, deliver over, pass over, turn over, assign dower, present, give away, dispense, dispose of, give out, deal out, dole out, mete out, fork out, squeeze out, pay, render, impart, communicate, concede, cede, yield, part with, shed, cast, spend, give, bestow, confer, grant, accord, award, assign, intrust, consign, vest in, make a present, allow, contribute, subscribe, furnish its quota, invest, endow, settle upon, bequeath, leave, devise, furnish, supply, help, administer to, afford, spare, accommodate with, indulge with, favor with, shower down upon, lavish, pour on, thrust upon, tip, bribe, tickle the palm, grease the palm, offer, sacrifice, immolate.

Apportionment

VB apportion, divide, distribute, administer, dispense, billet, allot, detail, cast, share, mete, portion out, parcel out, dole out, deal, carve, allocate, ration, ration out, assign, separate, partition, assign, appropriate, appoint, come in for one's share.

Sale

VB sell, vend, dispose of, effect a sale, sell over the counter, sell by auction, dispense, retail, deal in, sell off, sell out, turn into money, realize, bring to the hammer, bring under the hammer, put up to auction, put up for auction, offer for sale, put up for sale, hawk, bring to market, offer, undersell, let, mortgage.