distribute

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

v. t. allot, parcel, apportion; disperse, scatter; divide, classify. See apportionment, arrangement, dispersion.

II

(Roget's IV) v.

1. [To allot]

Syn. dispense, divide, share, deal, dole, bestow, issue, endow, dispose, disperse, circulate, mete out, pass out, parcel out, dole out, hand out, pay out, disburse, administer, give away, assign, allocate, ration, measure out, apportion, consign, prorate, appropriate, dish out*, divvy up*, cut the pie*; see also give 1 .

Ant. hold*, keep, preserve.

2. [To scatter]

Syn. spread, sow, disseminate, diffuse; see scatter 1 , 2 .

3. [To classify]

Syn. categorize, group, file; see classify , order 3 .

Syn.- distribute implies a dealing out of portions or a spreading about of units among a number of recipients [ to distribute leaflets ] ; dispense suggests the careful measuring out of that which is distributed [ to dispense drugs ] ; divide suggests separation of a whole into parts to be shared [ an inheritance divided among five children ] ; dole implies a measured distribution of money, food, favor, etc. in a charitable or in a sparing or niggardly manner

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) v.

1. apportion allot, parcel out, allocate, prorate, issue, ration, deliver, mete, divide, *dole out, disseminate, *divvy, dispense, spread.

2. classify arrange, group, order.

ANT.: 1. collect, gather, concentrate

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb 1. To give out in portions or shares: deal (out), dispense, divide, dole out, parcel out, portion (out), ration (out), share. Slang: divvy. See COLLECT. 2. To pass (something) out: circulate, disperse, disseminate, hand out. See COLLECT. 3. To extend over a wide area: circulate, diffuse, disperse, disseminate, radiate, scatter, spread, strew. See MOVE, WIDE. 4. To assign to a class or classes: categorize, class, classify, grade, group, pigeonhole, place, range, rank1, rate1. See GROUP, VALUE.