n.
Pronunciation: ik- ' spen(t)s
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin expensa, from Latin, feminine of expensus, past participle of expendere
Date: 14th century
1 archaic : the act or an instance of expending : EXPENDITURE
2 a : something expended to secure a benefit or bring about a result b : financial burden or outlay : COST <built the monument at their own expense > c : an item of business outlay chargeable against revenue for a specific period
3 : a cause or occasion of expenditure <an estate is a great expense >
4 : a loss, detriment, or embarrassment that results from some action or gain : SACRIFICE <everyone had a good laugh at my expense > ― usually used in the phrase at the expense of <develop a boy's physique at the expense of his intelligence ― Bertrand Russell>