† diˈspend, v. Obs. or arch.
Also 4–6 des-, dys-. pa. tense and pple. dispended, dispent.
[ME. des-, dispend-en, a. OF. despend-re (mod.F. dépendre) = Pr. despendre, Sp. despender, It. dispendere:—late L. dispendĕre to weigh out, pay out, dispense, f. dis- 1 + pendĕre to weigh. Cf. expend, spend.]
1. trans. To pay away, expend, spend: a. money, wealth.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 290 Þe kyng sent..For bisshoppes..& oþer þat þei found, Þat ilk ȝere mot dispende of londes twenty pound. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 63 For hooly chirches good moot been despended On hooly chirches blood that is descended. 1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) i. xxvii. 45 a/1 She had dyspended alle her hauour to leches for to recouure her syghte. 1599 B. Jonson Ev. Man out of Hum. ii. iii, A poore elder brother of mine, sir, a yeoman, may dispend some seven or eight hundred a yeere. 1642 Declar. Lords & Com. 20 June 6 Those summes shall be dispended as the former have been. c 1680 Hickeringill Hist. Whiggism Wks. 1716 I. 28 All [the money] was dispended. |
| absol. 1340 Ayenb. 53 Ich wylle þet þou ete and drinke and..despendi. 1629 Gaule Holy Madn. 348 When he must needs despend, he..kisses euery Peece he parts from. |
b. other things.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13410 (Cott.) Þe god drinc suld þou first despend. 1411 Rolls of Parlt. III. 650/2 Schal do brynge..two fatte Oxen..to be dispended on a dyner. 14.. Hoccleve Compl. Virgin 244 And hath his blood despent in greet foysoun. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. xlii. 98 a, They were the bolder to dispend amongst them their shot, with the which there were many very sore hurt. 1627 Feltham Resolves i. lxix. Wks. (1677) 105 Every Man will be busie in dispending that quality, which is predominant in him. a 1745 Swift Wks. (1841) II. 69 They insist, that the army dispend as many oaths yearly as will produce {pstlg}100,000 nett. 1868 Kinglake Crimea (1877) IV. xiii. 317 An isolated bastion dispending its strength. |
c. to dispend land: to have an income from land, to possess land.
| 1523 Fitzherb. Surv. xii. (1539) 27 In some case he shall dispende and have more landes. 1613 Sir H. Finch Law (1636) 405 Where that clause needs not, the Iurors must dispend some land of freehold out of ancient demesne within the Countie where the issue is to be tried. |
2. To spend, consume, employ, occupy (time).
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 2435 Thou here dispended thi tym wrang. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 320 How she in vertu myghte hir lyf dispende [Harl. erron. despent]. c 1422 Hoccleve Learn to Die 239 My dayes I despente in vanitee. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. lxix. 142 b, That vpon them the Caruells might dispend their times. 1582 Bentley Mon. Matrones 122 The time of my life euill dispent. |
3. pass. To be brought to an end or finished up; to be exhausted or spent; to come to an end.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 5 Whan the prologe is so despended. 1452 Will of S. Fyncham in Blyth Fincham (1863) 154 Til hese issue male be dispended. 1470 Harding Chron. ix. i, Anchises dyed and was dispent. 1520 Caxton's Chron. Eng. i. 9/2 The vytayles were dispended and fayled. |
4. To spend to no purpose; to waste, squander.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 1198 A clerk that folylyche dyspendyth Þe godys þat hys fadyr hym ȝyveth. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 2491 Phyllis, Me liste not..Despenden [v.r. dispenden] on hym a pennefull of ynke. 1483 Caxton Cato B v b, To thende that thou dyspende hyt not folysshly. |
5. To distribute,
dispense (
esp. in early use, in charity to the poor).
| c 1375 Cato Major iii. x. in Anglia VII, Freliche dispende, Þer neod is, euer among. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 112 If þis be ȝeuen or despendid to þe pore. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 275/1 To gyue to the poure peple and dispende it among the nedy. 1517 Test. Ebor. (Surt.) V. 88 Dispendyd and dalt at my buryall..xls. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. iii. vi, The purple fountain..By thousand rivers through the Is e dispent. 1652 Benlowes Theoph. xii. xlix. 225 When Sols Influence descends..And richer Showres, then fell on Danaes lap dispends. a 1656 Hales Gold. Rem. (1688) 267 To make them..profitable unto us, by charitably dispending them. |
6. To dispense
with, do without.
rare.
| 1614 T. Adams Devil's Banquet 61 If a present punishment be suspended, the future shall neuer be dispended with. |