[syn: give, pay, devote]
7. be worth it;
- Example: "It pays to go through the trouble"
8. render;
- Example: "pay a visit"
- Example: "pay a call"
9. bear (a cost or penalty), in recompense for some action;
- Example: "You'll pay for this!"
- Example: "She had to pay the penalty for speaking out rashly"
- Example: "You'll pay for this opinion later"
10. make a compensation for;
- Example: "a favor that cannot be paid back"
11. discharge or settle;
- Example: "pay a debt"
- Example: "pay an obligation"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pay \Pay\ (p[=a]), v. i.
To give a recompense; to make payment, requital, or
satisfaction; to discharge a debt.
[1913 Webster]
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again. --Ps.
xxxvii. 21.
[1913 Webster]
2. Hence, to make or secure suitable return for expense or
trouble; to be remunerative or profitable; to be worth the
effort or pains required; as, it will pay to ride; it will
pay to wait; politeness always pays.
[1913 Webster]
To pay for.
(a) To make amends for; to atone for; as, men often pay
for their mistakes with loss of property or
reputation, sometimes with life.
(b) To give an equivalent for; to bear the expense of; to
be mulcted on account of.
[1913 Webster]
'T was I paid for your sleeps; I watched your
wakings. --Beau. & Fl.
[1913 Webster]
To pay off. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(a) (Naut.) To fall to leeward, as the head of a vessel
under sail.
(b) to repay (a debt).
To pay on. [Etymol. uncertain.] To beat with vigor; to
redouble blows. [Colloq.]
To pay round [Etymol. uncertain.] (Naut.) To turn the
ship's head.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pay \Pay\ (p[=a]), v. t. [OF. peier, fr. L. picare to pitch, pix
pitch: cf. OF. peiz pitch, F. poix. See Pitch a black
substance.] (Naut.)
To cover, as bottom of a vessel, a seam, a spar, etc., with
tar or pitch, or waterproof composition of tallow, resin,
etc.; to smear.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pay \Pay\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Paid (p[=a]d); p. pr. & vb. n.
Paying.] [OE. paien, F. payer, fr. L. pacare to pacify,
appease, fr. pax, pacis, peace. See Peace.]
1. To satisfy, or content; specifically, to satisfy (another
person) for service rendered, property delivered, etc.; to
discharge one's obligation to; to make due return to; to
compensate; to remunerate; to recompense; to requite; as,
to pay workmen or servants.
[1913 Webster]
May no penny ale them pay [i. e., satisfy]. --P.
Plowman.
[1913 Webster]
[She] pays me with disdain. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
2. Hence, figuratively: To compensate justly; to requite
according to merit; to reward; to punish; to retort or
retaliate upon.
[1913 Webster]
For which, or pay me quickly, or I'll pay you. --B.
Jonson.
[1913 Webster]
3. To discharge, as a debt, demand, or obligation, by giving
or doing what is due or required; to deliver the amount or
value of to the person to whom it is owing; to discharge a
debt by delivering (money owed). "Pay me that thou owest."
--Matt. xviii. 28.
[1913 Webster]
Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
--Matt. xviii.
26.
[1913 Webster]
If they pay this tax, they starve. --Tennyson.
[1913 Webster]
4. To discharge or fulfill, as a duy; to perform or render
duty, as that which has been promised.
[1913 Webster]
This day have I paid my vows. --Prov. vii.
14.
[1913 Webster]
5. To give or offer, without an implied obligation; as, to
pay attention; to pay a visit.
[1913 Webster]
Not paying me a welcome. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
To pay off.
(a) To make compensation to and discharge; as, to pay off
the crew of a ship.
(b) To allow (a thread, cord, etc.) to run off; to unwind.
(c) to bribe.
To pay one's duty, to render homage, as to a sovereign or
other superior.
To pay out (Naut.), to pass out; hence, to slacken; to
allow to run out; as, to pay out more cable. See under
Cable.
To pay the piper, to bear the cost, expense, or trouble.
[Colloq.]
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pay \Pay\, n.
1. Satisfaction; content. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
2. An equivalent or return for money due, goods purchased, or
services performed; salary or wages for work or service;
compensation; recompense; payment; hire; as, the pay of a
clerk; the pay of a soldier.
[1913 Webster]
Where only merit constant pay receives. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
There is neither pay nor plunder to be got.
--L'Estrange.
[1913 Webster]
Full pay, the whole amount of wages or salary; maximum pay;
especially, the highest pay or allowance to civil or
military officers of a certain rank, without deductions.
Half pay. See under Half.
Pay day, the day of settlement of accounts.
Pay dirt (Mining), earth which yields a profit to the
miner. [Western U.S.]
Pay office, a place where payment is made.
Pay roll,
(a) a roll or list of persons entitled to payment, with
the amounts due; now usually one word, payroll.
(b) the total sum of money which is paid to all employees
on payday.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
pay
n 1: something that remunerates; "wages were paid by check"; "he
wasted his pay on drink"; "they saved a quarter of all
their earnings" [syn: wage, pay, earnings,
remuneration, salary]
v 1: give money, usually in exchange for goods or services; "I
paid four dollars for this sandwich"; "Pay the waitress,
please"
2: convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow;
"Don't pay him any mind"; "give the orders"; "Give him my
best regards"; "pay attention" [syn: give, pay]
3: cancel or discharge a debt; "pay up, please!" [syn: pay up,
ante up, pay] [ant: default, default on]
4: bring in; "interest-bearing accounts"; "How much does this
savings certificate pay annually?" [syn: yield, pay,
bear]
5: do or give something to somebody in return; "Does she pay you
for the work you are doing?" [syn: pay, pay off, make
up, compensate]
6: dedicate; "give thought to"; "give priority to"; "pay
attention to" [syn: give, pay, devote]
7: be worth it; "It pays to go through the trouble"
8: render; "pay a visit"; "pay a call"
9: bear (a cost or penalty), in recompense for some action;
"You'll pay for this!"; "She had to pay the penalty for
speaking out rashly"; "You'll pay for this opinion later"
10: make a compensation for; "a favor that cannot be paid back"
11: discharge or settle; "pay a debt"; "pay an obligation"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
207 Moby Thesaurus words for "pay":
accomplish, achieve, advantage, afford, angel, answer, attend to,
avail, back, bankroll, base pay, be exposed to, be gainful, be had,
be handy, be of use, be profitable, be subjected to, be worthwhile,
benefit, bestead, bring about, bring in, bring off, bring to pass,
budget, capitalize, castigation, chastening, chastisement,
come down on, commit, compensate, compensation, condign punishment,
correction, cost, cost out, cough up, deserts, disburse,
disciplinary measures, discipline, dismissal wage, do, do for,
do the trick, do to, earnings, effect, effectuate, emolument,
encounter, endure, escalator clause, escalator plan, expend,
experience, fee, feel, ferule, fill the bill, finance,
financial remuneration, fix, fork out, fund, get satisfaction,
give good returns, give it to, go and do, go through, gross,
gross income, grubstake, guaranteed annual wage, guerdon, have,
hire, income, incur costs, indemnify, inflict, infliction, invest,
judgment, judicial punishment, know, labor under, lay out,
living wage, make, make amends, make requital, make restitution,
make retribution, meet, meet up with, meet with, minimum wage,
nemesis, net, net income, open the purse, outlay, overpay,
overspend, pains, pains and punishments, pass through, patronize,
pay and allowances, pay back, pay by installments, pay dearly,
pay exorbitantly, pay for, pay off, pay on, pay out, pay too much,
payment, payroll, penal retribution, penalty, penology, perpetrate,
plunk, portal-to-portal pay, prepay, produce, profit, provide for,
pull off, punishment, punition, purchasing power, put out, quit,
real wages, realize, recompense, redress, refinance, remit,
remunerate, remuneration, render, repay, requite, retribution,
retributive justice, return, reward, run through, run up against,
salary, satisfy, schedule, scourge, serve, serve one out,
serve the purpose, set up, settle, settle the score, severance pay,
shell out, sink money in, sliding scale, spend, splurge, sponsor,
squander, stake, stand under, stipend, subsidize, suffer, suffice,
support, sustain, take and do, take care of, take-home,
take-home pay, taste, taxable income, tender, throw money around,
total compensation, undergo, up and do, wage, wage control,
wage freeze, wage reduction, wage rollback, wage scale, wages,
wages after deductions, wages after taxes,
well-deserved punishment, what-for, wreak, yield, yield a profit