pay

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"
    

Pay \Pay\ (p[=a]), v. i.
   To give a recompense; to make payment, requital, or
   satisfaction; to discharge a debt.
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         The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again. --Ps.
                                                  xxxvii. 21.
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   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.
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   {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.
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                'T was I paid for your sleeps; I watched your
                wakings.                          --Beau. & Fl.
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   {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.
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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.
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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.
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            May no penny ale them pay [i. e., satisfy]. --P.
                                                  Plowman.
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            [She] pays me with disdain.           --Dryden.
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   2. Hence, figuratively: To compensate justly; to requite
      according to merit; to reward; to punish; to retort or
      retaliate upon.
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            For which, or pay me quickly, or I'll pay you. --B.
                                                  Jonson.
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   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.
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            Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
                                                  --Matt. xviii.
                                                  26.
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            If they pay this tax, they starve.    --Tennyson.
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   4. To discharge or fulfill, as a duy; to perform or render
      duty, as that which has been promised.
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            This day have I paid my vows.         --Prov. vii.
                                                  14.
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   5. To give or offer, without an implied obligation; as, to
      pay attention; to pay a visit.
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            Not paying me a welcome.              --Shak.
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   {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.]
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Pay \Pay\, n.
   1. Satisfaction; content. --Chaucer.
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   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.
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            Where only merit constant pay receives. --Pope.
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            There is neither pay nor plunder to be got.
                                                  --L'Estrange.
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   {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.
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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