The correct answer is (A) A charitable gift (of clothing, food, money); an allotment of money or food, etc. that is issued at regular intervals by a government, agency, or charity to unemployed persons or the needy. A charitable distribution, particularly a parsimonious one.

Dole comes from Old English dál (share, part)

Examples of use:

• He had no desire to continue living on the dole.
• The few remaining rations were carefully doled out to the crew members.