Main Entry:: ¹ex·pense
Pronunciation:: \ik-ˈspen(t)s\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin expensa, from Latin, feminine of expensus, past participle of expendere
Date:: 14th century

1archaic : the act or an instance of expending : expenditure2 a: something expended to secure a benefit or bring about a result b: financial burden or outlay : cost <built the monument at their own expense> c: an item of business outlay chargeable against revenue for a specific period3: a cause or occasion of expenditure <an estate is a great expense>4: a loss, detriment, or embarrassment that results from some action or gain : sacrifice <everyone had a good laugh at my expense> —usually used in the phrase at the expense of<develop a boy's physique at the expense of his intelligence — Bertrand Russell>

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