Wordwyrt

dispenser

/dɪˈspensə/dih-SPEN-sur
/dɪˈspɛnsɚ/dih-SPEN-sur

Meaningone that dispenses

Common meaning: a device that hands out amounts

‘apart, away’ + ‘to weigh’ → dispenser

Journey through time

  1. Latindispensare‘to weigh out’source
  2. Englishdispense‘to give out’
  3. Englishformed in English from dispensedispenser‘a device that hands out amounts’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from dispense + -er.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), DISPENSE, p.171 · scan

Roots

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app