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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 clos'd his e'e, Far i' the west, Ben i' the spence, right pensivelie, I gaed to rest.

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Burns, Robert

At least, sir," said Elspeth Brydone, "take share of what our spence and our garners afford.

From The Monastery by Scott, Walter, Sir

I said, speaking through the door of the spence as she moved about the house, ordering the porridge-making and keeping an eye on the hen's meat as well.

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)

Now, they had not been gone but a few minutes, and I was in the spence, putting away the dishes, when I heard a whistle in the street, and anon another. 

From A Monk of Fife by Lang, Andrew

They hastened to the spence, and were relieved of a part of their anxiety by meeting Mary at the door of the apartment.

From The Monastery by Scott, Walter, Sir

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

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Italian giants Juventus and Serie A champions Inter are interested in Stones - the latter also admire Spence - while Leeds United want to keep the Yorkshire-born defender in the Premier League.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Spence, who grew up in Oregon, had begun making the rounds of local spots and identified his early favorite.

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