Pension, n.
Etymology: [F., fr. L. pensio a paying, payment, fr. pendere, pensum, to weight, to pay; akin to pend to hang. See Pendant, and cf. Spend.]
1. A payment; a tribute; something paid or given. [Obs.] The stomach's pension, and the time's expense. Sylvester.
2. A stated allowance to a person in consideration of past services; payment made to one retired from service, on account of age, disability, or other cause; especially, a regular stipend paid by a government to retired public officers, disabled soldiers, the families of soldiers killed in service, or to meritorious authors, or the like. To all that kept the city pensions and wages. 1 Esd. iv. 56.
3. A certain sum of money paid to a clergyman in lieu of tithes. [Eng.] Mozley & W.
4. Etym: [F., pronounced .]
1 more senses
A boarding house or boarding school in France, Belgium, Switzerland, etc.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Pension, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pensioned; p. pr. & vb. n. Pensioning.]
To grant a pension to; to pay a regular stipend to; in consideration of service already performed; -- sometimes followed by off; as, to pension off a servant. One knighted Blackmore, and one pensioned Quarles. Pope.