"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.