dole out
English
Verb
dole out (third-person singular simple present doles out, present participle doling out, simple past and past participle doled out)
- (idiomatic, transitive) To distribute in small amounts.
- 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, The Onion AV Club:
- The animators, writers and Gilbert do a fantastic job of making Laura an eminently crush-worthy figure of adolescent yearning but the episode doles out scenes of her and Bart together sparingly.
- 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, The Onion AV Club:
Synonyms
- (distribute in small portions): dish out