dispensedi‧spense /dɪˈspens/ ●○○ verb [transitive] formal 
Villagers dispensed tea to visitors. a machine for dispensing cash2to officially provide something for peopledispense justice (=decide whether or not someone is guilty of a crime and what punishment they should receive)3to officially prepare and give medicines to peopledispense with something phrasal verb formal to not use or do something that people usually use or do, because it is not necessary: Ann suggested that they dispense with speeches altogether at the wedding.dispense with somebody’s services (=no longer employ someone) Let’s dispense with the formalities (=speak openly and directly), shall we?
WORD ORIGINdispense
Origin:
1300-1400 Latin dispensare ‘to share out’, from pendere ‘to weigh’VERB TABLE
dispense
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | dispense |
| he, she, it | dispenses | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | dispensed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have dispensed |
| he, she, it | has dispensed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had dispensed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will dispense |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have dispensed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am dispensing |
| he, she, it | is dispensing | |
| you, we, they | are dispensing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was dispensing |
| you, we, they | were dispensing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been dispensing |
| he, she, it | has been dispensing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been dispensing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be dispensing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been dispensing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- More than 100 writers came to hear Wentworth dispense advice.
- The Reed County Clinic dispenses medication and makes referrals.
- Generic substitution enables the same drug to be dispensed by the chemist, albeit under a different band name.
- Private industry uses them to dispense nutrition information.
- Selective assessment can not be dispensed with while there is a shortage of resources to meet individual needs.
- The escorts handle all logistic details and also dispense advice on matters of protocol and decorum.
- The exam measures knowledge and competence to operate standard ophthalmic equipment and fit, adjust and dispense eyeglasses.
- This done by placing a 50 pence piece in a ticket dispensing machine.
WORD SETS
anabolic steroid, nounanaesthetic, nounantacid, nounantibiotic, nounantidepressant, nounantidote, nounantihistamine, nounanti-inflammatory, adjectiveantitoxin, nounaspirin, nounbalm, nounbalsam, nounbandage, nounbandage, verbBand-Aid, nounbarbiturate, nounbatch, nounBCG, nounbelladonna, nounbeta-blocker, nounbismuth, nounbooster, nouncaffeine, nouncapsule, nouncastor oil, nounchemotherapy, nounclinical, adjectivecodeine, nouncondom, nouncortisone, nouncough mixture, noundepressant, noundisinfect, verbdisinfectant, noundispensary, noundispense, verbdispensing chemist, noundiuretic, noundosage, noundose, noundose, verbdraught, noundrip, noundrug, noundrug, verbdruggist, noundrugstore, nounear drops, nounemetic, nounemollient, adjectiveEpsom salts, nouneucalyptus, nounexpectorant, nounfluoridate, verbfluoride, nounfolic acid, noungripe water, nounhallucinogen, nounhemlock, nounherbal, adjectiveherbal medicine, nounhypnotic, nounimmunize, verbinfusion, nouninhalant, nouninhaler, nouninject, verbinjection, nouninoculate, verbintravenous, adjectiveiodine, nounlaxative, nounlotion, nounlozenge, nounmagnesia, nounmedicament, nounmedicated, adjectivemedication, nounmedicinal, adjectivemedicine, nounmelatonin, nounmethadone, nounmilk of magnesia, nounmorning-after pill, nounmorphia, nounmorphine, nounnarcotic, nounnarcotic, adjectiveneedle, nounniacin, nounnicotine patch, nounobstetrician, nounointment, nounopiate, nounopium, nounoral contraceptive, nounoverdose, nounover-the-counter, adjectivepack, nounpainkiller, nounparacetamol, nounpastille, nounpatch, nounpatent medicine, nounpenicillin, nounpharmaceutical, adjectivepharmaceuticals, nounpharmacist, nounpharmacology, nounpharmacopoeia, nounpharmacy, nounplacebo, nounprescribe, verbprescription, nounpurgative, nounquinine, nounRDA, nounreaction, nounremedy, nounrubbing alcohol, nounsalve, nounsedation, nounsedative, nounsenna, nounserum, nounside effect, nounsleeping pill, nounspecific, nounsteroid, nounstimulant, nounstrychnine, nounsuppository, nounsurgical spirit, nounsyringe, nountablet, nountake, verbThalidomide, nountherapist, nountincture, nountonic, nountranquillizer, nountruth drug, nounvaccinate, verbvaccine, nounValium, nounVaseline, nounwitch-hazel, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Let’s dispense with the formalities (=speak openly and directly), shall we?COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
1to give something to people, especially in fixed amounts SYN give outdispense something to somebody (=decide whether or not someone is guilty of a crime and what punishment they should receive)
(=no longer employ someone)
Let’s dispense with the formalities (=speak openly and directly), shall we?· Their function was to advise the monarch and if he chose to dispense with their advice, so be it.· The escorts handle all logistic details and also dispense advice on matters of protocol and decorum.· Depending on your boss's nature, you can either dispense advice or yield.
· We could dispense some justice and hang him from the bowsprit to save the courts the trouble.· Here rappers become vigilantes or revolutionaries: machines for dispensing rough justice or revenge.· A new international law made it a duty to dispense justice to victims, whatever reason of state might be invoked.· Who dispenses justice round here? 18.
· Such legalisation would not magically dispense with the need for policemen, but it would make the needed policing more manageable.· Later tunnels were built with towpaths which dispensed with the need for legging.
· The court would have power to dispense with the non-owner's consent if justified.
· The club now have no option but to dispense with his services.· Standardization was very important to the Progressives, because the political machines of the day often dispensed services unevenly.· Being able to dispense with the services of an interpreter is a big incentive to fluency.· I hope he won't be too wary about dispensing with the services of some of those announcers - and quick.· I ventured on one or two occasions to suggest that he might find some way of dispensing with her services.· There was never any question of dispensing with the services of an emperor.
Villagers dispensed tea to visitors. a machine for dispensing cash2to officially provide something for peopledispense justice (=decide whether or not someone is guilty of a crime and what punishment they should receive)3to officially prepare and give medicines to peopledispense with something phrasal verb formal to not use or do something that people usually use or do, because it is not necessary: Ann suggested that they dispense with speeches altogether at the wedding.dispense with somebody’s services (=no longer employ someone) Let’s dispense with the formalities (=speak openly and directly), shall we?