to make dole
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To lament, to mourn. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the be- holders take his part with weeping. — As You Like Itr i,2.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to make dole” mean?
To lament, to mourn. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the be- holders take his part with weeping. — As You Like Itr i,2.
Is “to make dole” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.