/spend/ , v. , spent, spending .
v.t.
1. to pay out, disburse, or expend; dispose of (money, wealth, resources, etc.): resisting the temptation to spend one's money.
2. to employ (labor, thought, words, time, etc.), as on some object or in some proceeding: Don't spend much time on it.
3. to pass (time) in a particular manner, place, etc.: We spent a few days in Baltimore.
4. to use up, consume, or exhaust: The storm had spent its fury.
5. to give (one's blood, life, etc.) for some cause.
v.i.
6. to spend money, energy, time, etc.
7. Obs. to be consumed or exhausted.
[ 1125-75; ME spenden, continuing OE -spendan (in aspendan, forspendan to spend entirely or utterly) expendere to pay out, EXPEND; cf. G spenden ]
Syn. 1. SPEND, DISBURSE, EXPEND, SQUANDER refer to paying out money. SPEND is the general word: We spend more for living expenses now. DISBURSE implies expending from a specific source or sum to meet specific obligations, or paying in definite allotments: The treasurer has authority to disburse funds. EXPEND is more formal, and implies spending for some definite and (usually) sensible or worthy object: to expend most of one's salary on necessities. SQUANDER suggests lavish, wasteful, or foolish expenditure: to squander a legacy. 2. use, apply, devote.
Ant. 1. earn, keep.