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dispenser

American  
[dih-spen-ser] / dɪˈspɛn sər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that dispenses.

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

dispenser British  
/ dɪˈspɛnsə /

noun

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

  2. 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

Etymology

Origin of dispenser

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; dispense, -er 1

Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You wash your hands, bypassing the paper towel dispenser, shaking the water off.

From Literature

I turn on the one next to her, crank it to almost scalding, and squeeze some shampoo from the dispenser into my hand.

From Literature

I squirt soap on his hands for him, since he’s too little to reach the dispenser.

From Literature

Children use toy pistols and dispensers to squirt coloured water at their friends.

From BBC

Rinse aid dispensers are also worth considering, explains Andrew.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.