pay

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• COUNT in NET: 257 in 247 verses (in OT : 223 in 215 verses) (in NT : 34 in 32 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

pay, v. t. [OF. peier, fr. L. picare to pitch, pix pitch: cf. OF. peiz pitch, F. poix. See Pitch a black substance.].

 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]

pay, v. t. [OE. paien, F. payer, fr. L. pacare to pacify, appease, fr. pax, pacis, peace. See Peace.].

•  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]."  [1913 Webster]

  "[She] pays me with disdain."  [1913 Webster]
•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  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).  Matt. xviii. 28.  [1913 Webster]

  "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all."  [1913 Webster]

  "If they pay this tax, they starve."  [1913 Webster]
•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  To give or offer, without an implied obligation; as, to pay attention; to pay a visit.  [1913 Webster]

  "Not paying me a welcome."  [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.]

pay, 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."  [1913 Webster]
•  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]

  "'T was I paid for your sleeps; I watched your wakings."  [1913 Webster]

pay, n. 

•  Satisfaction; content.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]
•  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."  [1913 Webster]

  "There is neither pay nor plunder to be got."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pay, v. & n.
--v.tr. (past and past part. paid)
1 (also absol.) give (a person etc.) what is due for services done, goods received, debts incurred, etc. (paid him in full; I assure you I have paid).
2 a give (a usu. specified amount) for work done, a debt, a ransom, etc. (they pay {pound}6 an hour). b (foll. by to) hand over the amount of (a debt, wages, recompense, etc.) to (paid the money to the assistant).
3 a give, bestow, or express (attention, respect, a compliment, etc.) (paid them no heed). b make (a visit, a call, etc.) (paid a visit to their uncle).
4 (also absol.) (of a business, undertaking, attitude, etc.) be profitable or advantageous to (a person etc.).
5 reward or punish (can never pay you for what you have done for us; I shall pay you for that).
6 (usu. as paid adj.) recompense (work, time, etc.) (paid holiday).
7 (usu. foll. by out, away) let out (a rope) by slackening it.
--n. wages; payment.

Idiom

in the pay of employed by. paid holidays an agreed holiday period for which wages are paid as normal. paid-up member (esp. of a trade-union member) a person who has paid the subscriptions in full. pay-as-you-earn Brit. the deduction of income tax from wages at source. pay-bed a hospital bed for private patients. pay-claim a demand for an increase in pay, esp. by a trade union. pay-day a day on which payment, esp. of wages, is made or expected to be made. pay dearly (usu. foll. by for)
1 obtain at a high cost, great effort, etc.
2 suffer for a wrongdoing etc.
pay dirt (or gravel) US
1 Mineral. ground worth working for ore.
2 a financially promising situation. pay envelope US = pay-packet.
pay for
1 hand over the price of.
2 bear the cost of.
3 suffer or be punished for (a fault etc.). pay in pay (money) into a bank account. paying guest a boarder. pay its (or one's) way cover costs; not be indebted. pay one's last respects show respect towards a dead person by attending the funeral.
pay off
1 dismiss (workers) with a final payment.
2 colloq. yield good results; succeed.
3 pay (a debt) in full.
4 (of a ship) turn to leeward through the movement of the helm. pay-off n.
sl.
1 an act of payment.
2 a climax.
3 a final reckoning. pay out (or back) punish or be revenged on. pay-packet Brit. a packet or envelope containing an employee's wages. pay phone a coin-box telephone. pay the piper and call the tune pay for, and therefore have control over, a proceeding. pay one's respects make a polite visit. pay station US = pay phone. pay through the nose colloq. pay much more than a fair price. pay up pay the full amount, or the full amount of.
put paid to colloq.
1 deal effectively with (a person).
2 terminate (hopes etc.).

Derivative

payee n. payer n.

pay, v.tr. (past and past part. payed) Naut. smear (a ship) with pitch, tar, etc. as a defence against wet.

Etymology

OF peier f. L picare f. pix picis PITCH(2)

THESAURUS

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

ROGET THESAURUS

pay

Retaliation

VB retaliate, retort, turn upon, pay, pay off, pay back, pay in one's own coin, pay in the same coin, cap, reciprocate, turn the tables upon, return the compliment, give a quid pro quo, give as much as one takes, give as good as one gets, give and take, exchange fisticuffs, be quits, be even with, pay off old scores, serve one right, be hoist on one's own petard, throw a stone in one's own garden, catch a Tartar.

Acquisition

VB acquire, get, gain, win, earn, obtain, procure, gather, collect, pick, pickup, glean, find, come upon, pitch upon, light upon, scrape up, scrape together, get in, reap and carry, net, bag, sack, bring home, secure, derive, draw, get in the harvest, profit, make profit, draw profit, turn a quick profit, turn to profit, turn to account, make capital out of, make money by, obtain a return, reap the fruits of, reap an advantage, gain an advantage, turn a penny, turn an honest penny, make the pot boil, bring grist to the mill, make money, coin money, raise money, raise funds, raise the wind, fill one's pocket, treasure up, realize, clear, produce, take, get back, recover, regain, retrieve, revendicate, replevy, redeem, come by one's own, come by, come in for, receive, inherit, step into a fortune, step into the shoes of, succeed to, get hold of, get between one's finger and thumb, get into one's hand, get at, take possession, come into possession, enter into possession, be profitable, pay, answer, accrue.

Giving

VB deliver, hand, pass, put into the hands of, hand over, make over, deliver over, pass over, turn over, assign dower, present, give away, dispense, dispose of, give out, deal out, dole out, mete out, fork out, squeeze out, pay, render, impart, communicate, concede, cede, yield, part with, shed, cast, spend, give, bestow, confer, grant, accord, award, assign, intrust, consign, vest in, make a present, allow, contribute, subscribe, furnish its quota, invest, endow, settle upon, bequeath, leave, devise, furnish, supply, help, administer to, afford, spare, accommodate with, indulge with, favor with, shower down upon, lavish, pour on, thrust upon, tip, bribe, tickle the palm, grease the palm, offer, sacrifice, immolate.

Purchase

VB buy, purchase, invest in, procure, rent, repurchase, buy in, keep in one's pay, bribe, suborn, pay, spend, make a purchase, complete a purchase, buy over the counter, shop, market, go shopping.

Payment

N payment, defrayment, discharge, acquittance, quittance, settlement, clearance, liquidation, satisfaction, reckoning, arrangement, acknowledgment, release, receipt, receipt in full, receipt in full of all demands, voucher, salary, compensation, remuneration (reward), repayment, reimbursement, retribution, pay, money paid, ready money, stake, remittance, installment, payer, liquidator, pay cash, pay cash on the barrelhead, paying, paid, owing nothing, out of debt, all straight, unowed, never indebted, to the tune of, on the nail, money down.

VB pay, defray, make payment, paydown, pay on the nail, pay ready money, pay at sight, pay in advance, cash, honor a bill, acknowledge, redeem, pay in kind, pay one's way, pay one's shot, pay one's footing, pay the piper, pay sauce for all, pay costs, do the needful, shell out, fork out, cough up, fork over, come down with, come down with the dust, tickle the palm, grease the palm, expend, put down, lay down, discharge, settle, quit, acquit oneself of, foot the bill, account with, reckon with, settle with, be even with, be quits with, strike a balance, settle accounts with, balance accounts with, square accounts with, quit scores, wipe off old scores, clear off old scores, satisfy, pay in full, satisfy all demands, pay in full of all demands, clear, liquidate, pay up, pay old debts, disgorge, make repayment, repay, refund, reimburse, retribute, make compensation, pay by credit card, put it on the plastic.

Expenditure

N expenditure, money going out, out goings, out lay, expenses, disbursement, prime cost, circulation, run upon a bank, payment, pay, bribe, fee, footing, garnish, subsidy, tribute, contingent, quota, donation, pay in advance, earnest, handsel, deposit, installment, investment, purchase, expending, expended, sumptuary, vectigalia nervos esse reipublicae.

VB expend, spend, run through, get through, pay, disburse, ante, ante up, pony up, open the purse strings, loose the purse strings, untie the purse strings, lay out, shell out, fork out, fork over, bleed, make up a sum, invest, sink money, run up debts, run up bills (debt), fee, pay one's way, subscribe, subsidize.

Receipt

VB receive, take money, draw from, derive from, acquire, take, bring in, yield, afford, pay, return, accrue.

Punishment

VB punish, chastise, chasten, castigate, correct, inflict punishment, administer correction, deal retributive justice, cowhide, lambaste, visit upon, pay, pay out, serve out, do for, make short work of, give a lesson to, serve one right, make an example of, have a rod in pickle for, give it one, strike, deal a blow to, administer the lash, smite, slap, slap the face, smack, cuff, box the ears, spank, thwack, thump, beat, lay on, swinge, buffet, thresh, thrash, pummel, drub, leather, trounce, sandbag, baste, belabor, lace, lace one's jacket, dress, dress down, give a dressing, trim, warm, wipe, tund, cob, bang, strap, comb, lash, lick, larrup, wallop, whop, flog, scourge, whip, birch, cane, give the stick, switch, flagellate, horsewhip, bastinado, towel, rub down with an oaken towel, rib roast, dust one's jacket, fustigate, pitch into, lay about one, beat black and blue, beat to a mummy, beat to a jelly, give a black eye, tar and feather, pelt, stone, lapidate, masthead, keelhaul, execute, bring to the block, bring to the gallows, behead, decapitate, guillotine, decollate, hang, turn off, gibbet, bowstring, hang draw and quarter, shoot, decimate, burn, break on the wheel, crucify, empale, impale, flay, lynch, electrocute, gas, send to the gas chamber, torture, put on, put to the rack, picket, banish, exile, transport, expel, ostracize, rusticate, drum out, dismiss, disbar, disbench, strike off the roll, unfrock, post, suffer, suffer for, suffer punishment, be flogged, be executed, suffer the ultimate penalty, be hanged, come to the gallows, mount the gallows, swing, twist in the wind, dance upon nothing, die in one's shoes, be rightly served, be electrocuted, fry, ride the lightning, face the firing squad.

Reward

N reward, recompense, remuneration, meed, guerdon, reguerdon, price, indemnity, indemnification, quittance, compensation, reparation, redress, satisfaction, reckoning, acknowledgment, requital, amends, sop, atonement, retribution, consideration, return, quid pro quo, salvage, perquisite, vail, douceur, bribe, hush money, smart money, blackmail, extortion, carcelage, solatium, allowance, salary, stipend, wages, compensation, pay, payment, emolument, tribute, batta, shot, scot, bonus, premium, tip, fee, honorarium, hire, dasturi, dustoori, mileage, crown, remunerative, remuneratory, munerary, compensatory, retributive, reparatory, rewarding, satisfactory, fideli certa merces, honor virtutis praemium, tibi seris tibi metis.

Covering

VB cover, superpose, superimpose, overlay, overspread, wrap, encase, incase, face, case, veneer, pave, paper, tip, cap, bind, bulkhead, bulkhead in, clapboard, coat, paint, varnish, pay, incrust, stucco, dab, plaster, tar, wash, besmear, bedaub, anoint, do over, gild, plate, japan, lacquer, lacker, enamel, whitewash, parget, lay it on thick, overlie, overarch, endome, conceal, anodize, galvanize.