despensere

Despensere is a term that appears infrequently in English-language sources and does not have a single, widely recognized definition. In many contexts it is encountered as a rare or archaic form linked to dispensing or provisioning, or it may be a misspelling or variant of the more common word dispenser. Because of its limited and varied usage, the exact meaning of despensere can depend on the textual or linguistic context.

Historically, the related noun despenser referred to a royal or noble official charged with provisioning a household or military retinue. In medieval England, officials with responsibilities for supplying money, food, and other resources to the sovereign and household were described as despensers in some documents. The Despenser family, notably Hugh Despenser the Elder and Hugh Despenser the Younger, held prominent offices in the 13th and 14th centuries, a connection that has sometimes colored discussions of provisioning and financial dispensation in that era.

In modern usage, dispenser is the standard English form for a device or person that dispenses. The variant despensere may appear in historical texts as an alternative spelling or in non-English contexts as a cognate form. When writing in standard English, it is usually appropriate to use dispenser for the device or for a person who dispenses, or despenser when referring to the historical title.

See also: Dispenser; Despenser (surname); Dispense.