Spend


to pay out, disburse, or expend; dispose of (money, wealth, resources, etc.):
resisting the temptation to spend one’s money.
to employ (labor, thought, words, time, etc.), as on some object or in some proceeding:
Don’t spend much time on it.
to pass (time) in a particular manner, place, etc.:
We spent a few days in Baltimore.
to use up, consume, or exhaust:
The storm had spent its fury.
to give (one’s blood, life, etc.) for some cause.
to spend money, energy, time, etc.
Obsolete. to be consumed or exhausted.
Contemporary Examples

Not, of course, if you have $487 to spend on the record-setting price tag attached to a premium orchestra seat.
‘The Book of Mormon’ Gives Back to the Faithful Jimmy So July 2, 2011

If Hagel is confirmed but roughed up in the process, the administration will be forced to spend valuable capital.
The Proxy War Against Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon Is Really About Obama Howard Kurtz January 7, 2013

So why are he and his family—nice, sane people—willing to spend months on the campaign trail?
This Week’s Best Reads David Sessions August 18, 2011

I felt there were a lot of ways that I could spend the stub end of my life cycle that were more productive.
James Cameron Dives into the Ocean’s Abyss Andrew Romano July 20, 2014

He is expected to spend the next few days closeted with lawyers and advisers at his home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man? Tom Sykes January 4, 2015

Historical Examples

He had never been seen to spend a penny, unless it was to save twopence.
The Cock-House at Fellsgarth Talbot Baines Reed

Men who take from the poor daily interest for a drachma, and spend it in debauchery.
Philothea Lydia Maria Child

I would seek but leave, and withal grace, to spend my love upon Him.
Letters of Samuel Rutherford Samuel Rutherford

He ran over in his mind the friends with whom he could spend the time agreeably.
The Spenders Harry Leon Wilson

But, whether they liked it or not, the Stonewalls were condemned to spend most of that day in their drains.
Grapes of wrath Boyd Cable

verb spends, spending, spent
to pay out (money, wealth, etc)
(transitive) to concentrate (time, effort, thought, etc) upon an object, activity, etc
(transitive) to pass (time) in a specific way, activity, place, etc
(transitive) to use up completely: the hurricane spent its force
(transitive) to give up (one’s blood, life, etc) in a cause
(intransitive) (obsolete) to be used up or exhausted
(Brit, informal) spend a penny, to urinate
noun
an amount of money spent, esp regularly, or allocated to be spent
v.

“to pay out or away” (money or wealth), Old English -spendan (in forspendan “use up”), from Latin expendere “to weigh out money, pay down” (see expend). A general Germanic borrowing (cf. Old High German spendon, German and Middle Dutch spenden, Old Norse spenna). In reference to labor, thoughts, time, etc., attested from c.1300.
see: pocket (spending) money

Read Also:

  • Spiritual

    of, relating to, or consisting of ; incorporeal. of or relating to the or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature: a spiritual approach to life. closely akin in interests, attitude, outlook, etc.: the professor’s spiritual heir in linguistics. of or relating to or to ; supernatural or . characterized by or suggesting predominance of […]

  • Spiritualism

    the belief or doctrine that the of the dead, surviving after the mortal life, can and do communicate with the living, especially through a person (a medium) particularly susceptible to their influence. the practices or phenomena associated with this belief. the belief that all reality is . Metaphysics. any of various doctrines maintaining that the […]

  • Spiritualist

    an adherent of . a person who is concerned with or insists on the side of things. Contemporary Examples She was more of a spiritualist, a New Age believer in the power of good and the mysteries of the universe. The Day the Fairytale Died Marilyn Johnson July 11, 2014 Historical Examples The spiritualist declared […]

  • Splitting

    being or causing something to . violent or severe, as a headache. very fast or rapid. Usually, splittings. a part or fragment that has been off from something: Some cavemen made their smaller tools from the splittings of stone. to divide or separate from end to end or into layers: to split a log in […]

  • Spreader

    a person or thing that . a small, dull knife or spatula used for butter, jelly, etc., on bread. a machine for dispersing bulk material: manure spreader. a device for spacing or keeping apart two objects, as electric wires. Nautical. a strut for shrouds on a mast. Historical Examples Here’s a royal feast spread for […]


Disclaimer: Spend definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.