dispensed

Everyday

1. Dispensed means given out or handed out, often by a machine or in measured amounts. tree →
2. Dispensed means prepared and given out as medicine by a chemist or pharmacist. tree →
3. «Dispensed with» means got rid of something or did without it because it was not needed. tree →
4. (formal) Dispensed can mean justice or advice was given out by someone in charge. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life a machine dispenses drinks, cash, soap or tickets; a pharmacist dispenses medicine from a doctor's prescription. In maths problems a machine «dispensed 3 sweets each time» means equal groups, so you multiply or divide. In safety, medicine should only be dispensed by an adult or pharmacist. Phrases: dispensed with, dispensed medicine, dispensed by a machine, dispensed justice.

Examples

• The machine dispensed a cold can of lemonade. tree →
• The pharmacist dispensed my mum's tablets. tree →
• The cash machine dispensed two £10 notes. tree →
• The soap pump dispensed a tiny blob of foam. tree →
• We dispensed with the speeches and went straight to the cake. tree →
• The machine dispensed 4 sweets for every coin, so 5 coins gave 20 sweets. tree →
• In old stories the king dispensed justice in the great hall. (formal) tree →
• The nurse dispensed plasters to everyone who fell over. tree →
• Little boys and girls fell over their own toes into the gutter, old women dispensed digs with their elbows, and looked sour, and took snuff. tree →

Note

Past tense and past participle of «dispense». «Dispense with» means do without; it is not the same as «dispose of» (throw away), though they are close. A «dispenser» is the machine or container. In maths, «each time it dispensed n» means repeated equal amounts: total = n × number of times.