Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DISPENSE
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connect this word to others:
As I've mentioned, back in the days of the Roman empire, shoppers made purchases by weighing their money on scales. That explains why, in Latin, pendere means both "to pay" and "to hang or weigh."
Bring pendere into English words, and it makes sense, then, why to dispense things is to pay them out, and to be pens__e is to thoughtfully weigh ideas.
See how many other English words you can think of with "pen" in them, and try to trace them back to the root ideas of hanging, weighing, or paying. It's fascinating. Spend, pendant, and expensive are a good start; how many more can you list?
Of course, "pen" doesn't trace back to pendere a hundred percent of the time. Sometimes it traces instead to paene, meaning "almost." Like how a peninsula is an almost-island, how a pen__bra is an almost-shadow, and how something penul___ate is almost-last.
And the word pen itself? That goes back to penna, "a plume, a feather." Which you already know if you've read the kids' novel Frindle, and if you haven't, you'll love it.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"DISPENSE"
Even if you already know the word "dispense," it's worthy of your consideration: you might be able to use it (and its related forms) more flexibly.
It has Latin roots that literally mean "to pay out."
When you dispense things, you hand them out in sections, in an official way, as if you're in charge of the entire supply of those things.
Over time, the word "dispense" has taken on different meanings, from "officially hand out" to "officially make an arrangement" to "officially grant an exception to a rule." So, today, to dispense with something (often a rule, a law, or a requirement) is to get rid of it because it's not needed.
Pronunciation:
diss PENTS
Part of speech:
Verb, usually the transitive kind: "they dispense prescription drugs," "they dispense good advice."
(And the intransitive kind when you say "dispense with," as in "to dispense with this payment" or "let's dispense with that theory.")
Other common forms:
dispensed, dispensing, dispenser(s), dispensation;
dispensable, indispensable; dispensability, indispensability
How to use it:
"Dispense" is one of those sturdy, formal, infinitely useful verbs. It can take the place of vague or wimpy expressions like "hand out," "give out," and "carry out."
Talk about things and people that dispense literal things, like fuel, soda, candy, or medicine--or figurative things, like advice, wisdom, favors, judgment, or justice.
Things we often dispense with (that is, set aside, or do away with) include rules, penalties, traditions, pretenses, formalities, expectations, processes, technologies. Basically, if you normally do it, have it, say it, or use it, but this time you're deciding not to, you've dispensed with it.
And when you need a formal, emphatic word meaning "essential" or "necessary," try "indispensable." Talk about indispensable people and their indispensable work and contributions; indispensable information, resources, and technologies; indispensable knowledge and insights, etc.
examples:
"The restaurant’s popular 'sake school' flights, a rotating, seasonally oriented selection dispensed by one of the restaurant’s cheerful servers, provides an intoxicating education."
— Patricia Escarcega, The Los Angeles Times, 28 March 2019
"Early surrealist comedy is found in the satirical and comedic elements of works of modern authors, who, like Lear and Carroll, wrote stories which dispensed with the normal rules of logic."
— World Heritage Encyclopedia entry on "Surreal Humor"
has this page helped you understand "dispense"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "dispense" without saying "distribute" or "administer."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "It's a (rule, habit, pretense, or social custom) I've dispensed with: _____. Now I _____."
Example: "It's a habit I've dispensed with: opening the door to marketers to politely hear them out before saying 'no, thank you.' Now I ignore them until they go away."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, the game show Chain Reaction."
In each issue, try filling in both puzzles—the easier one and the tougher one—by supplying the terms to complete the chains.
From the previous issue:
An easier puzzle:
Rife
W___
Gusto
A tougher puzzle:
Tenacious
G___
T___
Measure
Answers:
Rife
With
Gusto
Tenacious
Grip
Tape
Measure
Give these a try today:
An easier puzzle:
Meticulous
A________
Deficit
A tougher puzzle:
Eat
D___
D____
Incarnate
review this word:
1. The opposite of DISPENSE WITH is
A. ACCEPT.
B. PRESERVE.
C. QUESTION.
2. _____ has been dispensing _____.
A. This software .. without warning since I installed it
B. The dream of owning her own farm .. since her childhood
C. Jeanne Phillips .. candid advice as "Dear Abby" since 2000
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
As I've mentioned, back in the days of the Roman empire, shoppers made purchases by weighing their money on scales. That explains why, in Latin, pendere means both "to pay" and "to hang or weigh."
"DISPENSE" Even if you already know the word "dispense," it's worthy of your consideration: you might be able to use it (and its related forms) more flexibly.
"The restaurant’s popular 'sake school' flights, a rotating, seasonally oriented selection dispensed by one of the restaurant’s cheerful servers, provides an intoxicating education."
Explain the meaning of "dispense" without saying "distribute" or "administer."
Fill in the blanks: "It's a (rule, habit, pretense, or social custom) I've dispensed with: _____. Now I _____."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of DISPENSE WITH is
|