expend
UK[ɪkˈspɛnd]US[ɪkˈspɛnd]
v
to spend or use money, time, energy, etc.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
pend
ex
out, thoroughly
pend
to weigh, to pay
Etymology
the word 'expend' originates from the latin verb 'expendere', which is a compound of 'ex-' ('out') and 'pendere' ('to weigh'). in ancient roman commerce, money was literally weighed out, so 'expendere' came to mean 'to weigh out money', hence 'to pay out'. this concrete financial action broadened semantically as it entered english via anglo-norman and middle french, evolving to encompass the more general modern meaning of consuming or using up any resource, such as time or effort, not just money. the core logic remains one of measured output or disbursement from a store.
Analysis
Structure: ex + pend
ex- (latin origin, meaning 'out, thoroughly'); pend (latin origin, from 'pendere', meaning 'to weigh, to pay')
Examples
the project will expend a significant portion of the annual budget.
she didn't want to expend any more energy on the argument.
the engine expends fuel less efficiently at high altitudes.