dispenser
Americannoun
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a person or thing that dispenses.
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a container, package, device, or vending machine for holding and dispensing something in small amounts, as facial tissue, paper cups, or candy.
noun
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a device, such as a vending machine, that automatically dispenses a single item or a measured quantity
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a person or thing that dispenses
Etymology
Origin of dispenser
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at dispense, -er 1
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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.
The company that owns the vending machine, iJooz, says it replaced all 500 straws in the machine's dispenser after the alleged incident.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
Most Americans have been hearing tales of Pentagon woe—late, expensive new aircraft carriers; an 8,000% price markup on a soap dispenser inside a C-17 bathroom.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
On a more intimate scale, Gemma and Cady’s new Bay Area rental is a smart house where everything is a potential poltergeist, from the ice dispenser to the vacuum.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025
Always keep the container tightly sealed to minimize contact with air – if your dispenser bottle has an open spout, your oil will degrade faster.
From Salon • Jan. 19, 2025
Lourdes pulls a sheet of tissue paper from a metal dispenser and places it on the scale with a cookie.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
