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• spence
  spence

  noun

  a pantry.
• Spence
  Spence

  noun

  a male given name, form of Spencer.

spence

¹ American  

[spens] / spɛns /

noun

British Dialect.

1. a pantry.

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Spence ² American  

[spens] / spɛns /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Spencer.

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spence ¹ British  

/ spɛns /

noun

1. dialect

   1. a larder or pantry

   2. any monetary allowance

   3. a parlour, esp in a cottage

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Spence ² British  

/ spɛns /

noun

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

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Etymology

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spence Spence

The thresher’s weary flingin’-tree The lee-lang day had tired me; And when the day had closed his e’e Far i’ the west, Ben i’ the spence, right pensivelie, I gaed to rest.

From The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham by Burns, Robert

Will straik on her mittens sae dainty, And crack wi' Mess John i' the spence.

From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 3 by Mabie, Hamilton Wright

"Is that you blethering away in there, John?" cried a high female voice from the spence.

From Gilian The Dreamer His Fancy, His Love and Adventure by Munro, Neil

"John's ben in the spence," replied the woman.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume I Historical, Traditionary, and Imaginative by Various

Well," said Claverhouse, "we shall have to give Anne the justiciar power and send her lord to the spence and the store chamber.

From The Men of the Moss-Hags Being a history of adventure taken from the papers of William Gordon of Earlstoun in Galloway by Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)

Djed Spence: The Tottenham full-back was one of England's breakout players of the tournament.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

However, if England are to finally win another tournament, they will need players like Spence to add squad depth as well as their headline superstars.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

When he arrived at Fifth Third as chief strategy officer over a decade ago and first addressed his team, someone asked Spence about his preferred Cincinnati chili joint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Dan Burn and Djed Spence came on for Anderson and Nico O'Reilly respectively as England moved to a 5-3-1 formation.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

We walked 9.7 miles to Spence Field Shelter, a modest distance even for us, but we were wet through and chilled, and anyway it was too far to hike to the next one.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson