(verb) : dis-penso, āvi, ātum, 1
* Orig. of money, to distribute by weight, to disburse, pay out (for syn. cf.: partior, impertio, distribuo, divido): ducentos nummos (sc. inter milites),Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 47.
* In gen., to manage, regulate household expenses: domesticas res,Cic. Att. 11, 1; cf. Juv. 7, 219: eligere aliquem ad dispensandam pecuniam,to have charge of the military chest,Nep. Con. 4.—Absol.: dispensat pueris vilicus,distributes rations,Mart. 12, 18, 22.
* Transf., of other things, to dispense, distribute, arrange (for syn. cf.: dispono, digero, ordino, compono).
* Lit.: (fons) certis horarum spatiis dispensatur inter incolas,Plin. 18, 22, 51, § 188; Front. Aquaed. 9; Plin. 13, 13, 27, § 89: vitis aequa portione sucum proli suae dispensat,Col. 4, 24, 9: oscula suprema natos per omnes,Ov. M. 6, 278 (cf.: dividit oscula,Hor. C. 1, 36, 6): filum candelae,Juv. 3, 287: quem (annum) intercalaribus mensibus interponendis ita dispensavit (Numa), ut, etc.,Liv. 1, 19 fin.
* Trop., to manage, regulate, control, distribute: inventa non solum ordine, sed etiam momento quodam atque judicio dispensare atque componere,Cic. de Or. 1, 31, 142: quasi dispensare rem publicam et in ea quodam modo vilicare,id. Rep. 5, 3, 5; Just. 7, 6, 4: laetitiam inter impotentes populi animos,i. e. to impart to them by degrees,Liv. 27, 50 fin.: male dispensata libertas,Sen. Ben. 1, 10: quae dispensant mortalia fata sorores,Ov. H. 12, 3 et saep.: consilium dispensandae cohonestandaeque victoriae imperatoribus majores dederunt nostri (qs. to arrange as the general's manager; the fig. acc. to I. B., v. also dispensator), Liv. 38, 47.—Absol.: si modo recte dispensare velis, to dispense, arrange ( = administrare), Hor. S. 1, 2, 75.

s. TLL