Plural of dole; portions or allotments distributed, especially to the needy; also means handouts or welfare payments.
From Old English dāl (division, portion). Originally meant any portion given out; by Middle English it developed the meaning of charitable gifts, and by modern times refers specifically to unemployment benefits or welfare payments.
In British English, 'on the dole' is still the common way to say someone is collecting unemployment benefits—it's a phrase that preserves the medieval idea of a 'portion' as a financial share given by authorities to those in need.
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