I. ə-ˈlau̇-ən(t)s noun
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : a share or portion allotted or granted
b. : a sum granted as a reimbursement or bounty or for expenses
salary includes cost-of-living allowance
especially : a sum regularly provided for personal or household expenses
each child has an allowance
c. : a fixed or available amount
provide an allowance of time for recreation
d. : a reduction from a list price or stated price
a trade-in allowance
2. : an imposed handicap (as in a horse race)
3. : an allowed dimensional difference between mating parts of a machine
4. : the act of allowing : permission
5. : a taking into account of mitigating circumstances or contingencies
the plan makes no allowance for bad weather
II. transitive verb
( -anced ; -anc·ing )
Date: 1758
1. archaic : to put on a fixed allowance (as of food and drink)
2. archaic : to supply in a fixed or regular quantity