Lewis & Short

penso, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [pendo], to weigh or weigh out carefully (not freq. till after the Aug. per.; not in Cic., for in Off. 2, 19, 68, conpensandum is the correct reading. Neither is it found in Plaut., Ter., Lucr., or Cæs.; syn.: pendo, expendo).

  1. I. Lit.: aurum, Liv. 38, 24; Sil. 4, 153; Col. 12, 51, 2: C. Gracchi caput auro pensatum, paid for with its weight in gold, Flor. 3, 15, 6: odores ac purpurae et auro pensanda, worth their weight in gold, Sen. Ep. 73, 5.
    Prov.: pensare aliquem eādem trutinā, to weigh one in the same balance, judge one by the same standard, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 29.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. To counterbalance with any thing, to compensate, recompense, repay, make good, requite; for the usual compensare: exiguā turis impensā tanta beneficia pensaturi, Curt. 8, 5, 10: beneficia beneficiis, Sen. Ben. 3, 9, 3; Suet. Aug. 25: praematuram mortem immortali nominis sui memoriā, Vell. 2, 88, 3: vulnera et sanguis aviditate praedae, Tac. H. 3, 26 fin.; cf. id. ib. 4, 74; id. A. 2, 26: vicem alicujus, to supply the place of a thing, to compensate for a thing, Plin. 31, 8, 44, § 97; transmarinae res quādam vice pensatae, Liv. 26, 37: iter, to shorten the way, Luc. 9, 685.
    2. B. To pay, repay, punish with any thing: nece pudorem, Ov. H. 2, 143: omnia uno ictu, Sen. Oedip. 936: nefarium concubitum voluntariā morte, Val. Max. 1, 8, 3.
      1. 2. To purchase with any thing: vitam auro, Sil. 2, 35: victoriam damno militis, Vell. 2, 115, 4.
    3. C. To exchange for any thing: palatia caelo, Calp. Ecl. 4, 141: laetitiam moerore, Plin. 7, 40, 41, § 132.
    4. D. To allay, quench: sitim, Calp. Ecl. 5, 111.
    5. E. To weigh, ponder, examine, consider: ex factis, non ex dictis, amicos pensare, Liv. 34, 49: ad consilium pensandum temporis opus esse, id. 22, 51, 3; Curt. 3, 6, 3; 8, 2, 14; 7, 33, 2: singula animi consulta, id. 7, 8, 1: stat pensata diu belli sententia, Sil. 7, 223.