spence

[ spens ]

/ spɛns /

Save This Word!

noun British Dialect.

a pantry.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of spence

1350–1400; Middle English spense, spence<Middle French despense pantry <Medieval Latin dīspēnsa, noun use of feminine of dīspēnsus, past participle of dīspendere to weigh out; see dispense

Words nearby spence

spelt, spelter, spelunk, spelunker, Spemann, spence, spencer, Spencer Gulf, Spencerian, spend, spendable

Other definitions for spence (2 of 2)

Spence

[ spens ]

/ spɛns /

noun

a male given name, form of Spencer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use spence in a sentence

Red light will bring out the fruitiness of wine, while green light will make the vino suddenly taste sour and fresher, according to Spence.
Host an unforgettable meal with science and a personal touch|Sofia Quaglia|November 22, 2021|Popular-Science
Susan Powers, Spence Professor of Sustainable Environmental Systems and the Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson UniversityThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Menstrual Cups Are A Cheaper, More Sustainable Way For Women To Cope With Periods Than Tampons Or Pads|LGBTQ-Editor|September 17, 2021|No Straight News
Both Linda Perilstein, executive director of Cradle of Hope, and Leslie Case of Spence-Chapin, both declined to comment.
Couple Sues Over Russian ‘Bait-and-Switch’ Adoption of Disabled Kids|Tina Traster|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1940 he married Dorothy Spence and soon had two young sons, Jim and Chris, to support.
The Stacks: Mr. Bad Taste and Trouble Himself: Robert Mitchum|Robert Ward|July 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And Pastor Spence is also correct that the modern outrage artist owes an enormous debt to punk pioneers The Sex Pistols.
The Cult of Outrage|Michael Moynihan|November 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Spence is the leader of an aboriginal community called Attawapiskat in northern Ontario.
The Hunger Strike Diet: You Don't Lose Weight AND You Accomplish Your Goal!|David Frum|January 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Theresa Spence was elected chief of Attawapiskat in 2010, after long service in other governance positions.
The Hunger Strike Diet: You Don't Lose Weight AND You Accomplish Your Goal!|David Frum|January 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“They tried the thumbscrews on me,” said Spence with a pitiful smile, glancing at his injured members.
Hunted and Harried|R.M. Ballantyne
Such sympathy with slavery received its reward in the appointment of Mr. Spence as financial agent of the Confederacy.
The Boys of '61|Charles Carleton Coffin.
Turning from the applause, he introduced Ben Spence as "a labor lawyer, with a union card in place of a heart."
Mountain|Clement Wood
I 'ave a daughter as can give you a room, and there you become a widow, Mrs. Spence—just buried 'im in Sheffield.
Workhouse Characters|Margaret Wynne Nevinson
When Brand spoke in this way, Jim Spence was far too wary to ask personal questions.
The Pillar of Light|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for spence (1 of 2)

spence

/ (spɛns) /

noun

dialect

a larder or pantry
any monetary allowance
a parlour, esp in a cottage

Word Origin for spence

C14: from Old French despense, from Latin dispendere to distribute; see dispense

British Dictionary definitions for spence (2 of 2)

Spence

/ (spɛns) /

noun

Sir Basil (Unwin). 1907–76, Scottish architect, born in India; designed Coventry Cathedral (1951)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012