Origin: 1125–75; Middle English spenden, continuing Old English -spendan (in āspendan, forspendan to spend entirely or utterly) < West Germanic < Latin expendere to pay out, expend; compare German spenden
Related forms
an·ti·spend·ing, adjective
un·der·spend, verb, -spent, -spend·ing.
un·spend·ing, adjective
Synonyms 1.Spend,disburse,expend,squander refer to paying out money. Spend is the general word: We spend more for living expenses now. Disburse implies expending from a specific source or sum to meet specific obligations, or paying in definite allotments: The treasurer has authority to disburse funds. Expend is more formal, and implies spending for some definite and (usually) sensible or worthy object: to expend most of one's salary on necessities. Squander suggests lavish, wasteful, or foolish expenditure: to squander a legacy. 2. use, apply, devote.
"to pay out or away" (money or wealth), O.E. -spendan (in forspendan "use up"), from L. expendere "to weigh out money, pay down" (see expend). A general Gmc. borrowing (cf. O.H.G. spendon, Ger., M.Du. spenden, O.N. spenna). In ref. to labor, thoughts, time, etc., attested from c.1300.