Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To coat or cover (seams of a ship, for example) with waterproof material such as tar or asphalt.
  • intransitive verb To give money to in return for goods or services rendered.
  • intransitive verb To give (money) in exchange for goods or services.
  • intransitive verb To discharge or settle (a debt or obligation).
  • intransitive verb To bear (a cost or penalty, for example) in recompense.
  • intransitive verb To yield as a return.
  • intransitive verb To afford an advantage to; profit.
  • intransitive verb To give or bestow.
  • intransitive verb To make (a visit or call).
  • intransitive verb To let out (a line or cable) by slackening.
  • intransitive verb To give money in exchange for goods or services.
  • intransitive verb To discharge a debt or obligation.
  • intransitive verb To bear a cost or penalty in recompense.
  • intransitive verb To be profitable or worthwhile.
  • adjective Of, relating to, giving, or receiving payments.
  • adjective Requiring payment to use or operate.
  • adjective Yielding valuable metal in mining.
  • noun The act of paying or state of being paid.
  • noun Money given in return for work done; salary; wages.
  • noun Recompense or reward.
  • noun Retribution or punishment.
  • noun Paid employment.
  • noun A person considered with regard to his or her credit or reliability in discharging debts.
  • idiom (pay (one's) dues) To earn a given right or position through hard work, long-term experience, or suffering.
  • idiom (pay (one's) way) To contribute one's own share; pay for oneself.
  • idiom (pay the piper) To bear the consequences of something.
  • idiom (pay through the nose) To pay excessively.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To appease; satisfy; content; please.
  • To make satisfaction or amends for.
  • To satisfy the claims of; compensate, as for goods, etc., supplied, or for services rendered; recompense; requite; remunerate; reward: as, to pay workmen or servants; to pay one's creditors.
  • To discharge, as a debt or an obligation, by giving or doing that which is due: as, to pay taxes; to pay vows.
  • To bear; defray: as, who will pay the cost? hence, to defray the expense of: as, to pay one's way in the world.
  • To give; deliver; hand over as in discharge of a debt: as, to pay money; to pay the price.
  • To give or render, without any sense of obligation: as, to pay attention; to pay court to a woman; to pay a compliment.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete French peier, from Old French, from Latin picāre, from pix, pic-, pitch.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English paien, from Old French paiier, from Late Latin pācāre, to appease, from Latin, to pacify, subdue, from pāx, pāc-, peace; see pag- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English payen, from Old French paier, from Medieval Latin pācāre ("to settle, satisfy") from Latin pacare ("to pacify"). Displaced native Middle English yelden, yielden ("to pay") (from Old English ġieldan ("to pay")), Middle English schotten ("to pay, make payment") (from Old English scot, ġescot ("payment")).

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word pay.

Examples

  • What pay, _pay_, mind you, did he ever get for taking care of _you_?

    Shelled by an Unseen Foe James Fiske

  • "It was Dr. O'Grady that promised for us and before I pay a penny for a man that owes me more this minute than he can pay——"

    General John Regan George A. Birmingham 1907

  • NiceGirl: Do the cam sites et al. pay for conversions (traffic that generates revenue) or for raw traffic (hits)? artwilliams: So even though they are looking for * free* porn, they are expected to * pay* for cam and dating sites, and toys?

    LUKE IS BACK LUKE IS BACK 2010

  • NiceGirl: Do the cam sites et al. pay for conversions (traffic that generates revenue) or for raw traffic (hits)? artwilliams: So even though they are looking for * free* porn, they are expected to * pay* for cam and dating sites, and toys?

    LUKE IS BACK 2010

  • NiceGirl: Do the cam sites et al. pay for conversions (traffic that generates revenue) or for raw traffic (hits)? artwilliams: So even though they are looking for * free* porn, they are expected to * pay* for cam and dating sites, and toys?

    LUKE IS BACK 2010

  • NiceGirl: Do the cam sites et al. pay for conversions (traffic that generates revenue) or for raw traffic (hits)? artwilliams: So even though they are looking for * free* porn, they are expected to * pay* for cam and dating sites, and toys?

    LUKE IS BACK LUKE IS BACK 2010

  • For which, or pay me quickly, or I'll _pay_ you. "

    Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • But today the term pay or play is frequently used as a shorthand method for saying simply that there is a firm financial commitment under a deal.

    The Movie Business Book, Third Edition Edited by Jason E. Squire 2004

  • But today the term pay or play is frequently used as a shorthand method for saying simply that there is a firm financial commitment under a deal.

    The Movie Business Book, Third Edition Edited by Jason E. Squire 2004

  • But today the term pay or play is frequently used as a shorthand method for saying simply that there is a firm financial commitment under a deal.

    The Movie Business Book, Third Edition Edited by Jason E. Squire 2004

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • 1) Verb

    2) Drink

    example :

    1) Paanu pani pay - Drink tea

    2) Sokku pani pay - Drink water for thirsty

    3) kaLa pani pay = Drink liquor

    4) haLLu pay = Drink slowly

    August 15, 2010

  • In Sogdian pay ~ βäg 'share'

    January 19, 2011