[ 'dɪvɪdɛnd ]
■ noun
1》 a sum of money that is divided among a number of people, such as the part of a company's profits paid to its shareholders or the winnings from a football pool.
↘an individual's share of this money.
2》 ( ~s ) a benefit from an action or policy: the policy would pay ~s in the future.
3》 Mathematics a number to be divided by another number.
Origin
C15: from Anglo-Norman Fr. ~e , from L. ~um 'something to be divided', from dividere (see divide ).