spend
/spɛnd/
verb
Origin
Latin
expendere — to weigh out
Overview
Meaning Now
- To pay out money in buying or hiring goods or services.
- To use up, exhaust, or consume time, energy, or resources.
Language path
Latin → Old English → Modern English
Earliest form
spendan
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The verb reflects the ancient practice of weighing precious metals to determine the value of a payment before the widespread use of standardized coinage.
Evolution
- Latin
expendere
“to pay out money”
Literally 'to weigh out' coins.
- Old English
spendan
“to pay, consume”
Borrowed from Latin via ecclesiastical influence.
- Middle English
spenden
“to pay out, to use up”
- Modern English
spend
“to pay or use resources”
Connections
Word parts
spend
root
pay or exhaust
Related across languages
German
spenden
to donate
Latin
expendere
to weigh out
Explore next
Related to spend
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.