Despend

/dɪˈspɛnd/ verb

Definition

Archaic or obsolete verb meaning to spend completely or to exhaust by spending.

Etymology

From de- (intensifier prefix) + spend (to disburse money), from Old English.

Kelly Says

Medieval texts use despend to describe characters who squander fortunes—it's the ancestor of modern 'expend,' which replaced it as a more efficient way to express the same idea.

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