dispenser

[ dih-spen-ser ]

/ dɪˈspɛn sər /

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noun

a person or thing that dispenses.

a container, package, device, or vending machine for holding and dispensing something in small amounts, as facial tissue, paper cups, or candy.

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Origin of dispenser

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at dispense, -er¹

Words nearby dispenser

dispensation, dispensationalism, dispensator, dispensatory, dispense, dispenser, dispense with, dispensible, dispensing optician, dispeople, dispermous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dispenser in a sentence

In our case, we used the food dispenser where the connection was not that obvious.
Would dogs return the favor if you gave them treats? It’s complicated|Betsy Mason|July 14, 2021|Science News
Strict rules on cleaning in public areas, and the distribution of sanitizer dispensers, have also helped.
‘Stamp out cultural biases’: How return-to-office strategies differ around the world|Jessica Davies|July 7, 2021|Digiday
Some can also be used as a baby monitor, while others have distinct features, like a treat dispenser, that make them a pet-only monitor.
Best dog camera: Find out if Fido is being a good boy while you’re gone|Florie Korani|June 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Still others got tickets each time somebody pressed the dispenser around dinner time — these tickets could be traded for toothbrushes, backpacks and other useful items.
Small bribes may help people build healthy handwashing habits|Sujata Gupta|May 12, 2021|Science News

Although a soap dispenser isn’t necessarily an organizing tool, Cruzado likes using matching accessories to reduce visual clutter.
Shopping with the pros: Solutions for a functional and stylish bathroom|Mari-Jane Williams|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
The comic Andy Kindler performs like “a Pez dispenser of passive aggression.”
The Obligation to be Interesting: James Wolcott’s “Critical Mass”|William Giraldi|October 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Twine dispenser: This is sort of a medium-advanced chef gift.
The 2012 Holiday Kitchen Gift Guide|Megan McArdle|December 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Allison then broke down during a market-research session and threw a brass cigarette dispenser at Don, quitting.
‘Mad Men’ Premiere: Before Season 5, Let's Remember Season 4|Jace Lacob|March 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Justice incarnate, you are a virtual Pez dispenser of convictions.
Your Horoscopes|Starsky + Cox|May 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
For Newcastle, the veteran dispenser of the royal patronage, such a system meant political extinction.
The Political History of England - Vol. X.|William Hunt
He twirled the dial and slipped a couple of five-dollar coins into the dispenser slot.
Security|Poul William Anderson
She was the dispenser of court favors, the arbiter of fortunes, the real ruler of the land.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume VII|John Lord
Then the dispenser of work and of wages will exert an empire absolute over his wage-earning workingmen.
The Sword of Honor, volumes 1 & 2|Eugne Sue
My dear dead father used to be holy water dispenser at the Church of St. Medard.
The Sword of Honor, volumes 1 & 2|Eugne Sue

British Dictionary definitions for dispenser

dispenser

/ (dɪˈspɛnsə) /

noun

a device, such as a vending machine, that automatically dispenses a single item or a measured quantity

a person or thing that dispenses

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dispenser

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Origin of dispenser

Words nearby dispenser

Words related to dispenser

How to use dispenser in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dispenser