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   Pay

   /pā/

   

   verb

   • 1. give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred: "he paid the locals to pick his coffee beans" Similar rewardreimburserecompensegive payment tosettle up withremuneratetipindemnify
   • ▪ give (a sum of money) in exchange for goods or work done or in discharge of a debt: "he paid $1,000 to have it built in 1977" Similar spendexpendpay outlay outpart withdisbursehand overremitrenderinformal:dish outshell outfork outcough upante uppony up
   • ▪ hand over or transfer the amount due of (a debt, wages, etc.) to someone: "I always prefer to pay all my bills on time" Similar dischargesettlepay offpay in fullmeetclearsquaredefrayhonorsatisfymake goodliquidate
   • ▪ (of work, an investment, etc.) yield or provide someone with (a specified sum of money): "jobs that pay $5 or $6 an hour"
   • ▪ (of a business or undertaking, or an attitude) be profitable or advantageous to someone: "crime doesn't pay" Similar yieldpay outreturnproducebring ininformal:rake inbe profitablemake moneymake a profitbe remunerativemake a returnprovide a livingbe advantageous tobenefitbe of advantage tobe of benefit tobe beneficial tobe profitable tobe worthwhile torepayserve
   • 2. suffer a loss or other misfortune as a consequence of an action: "they paid for his impatience" Similar suffersuffer the consequencesbe punishedpay a penaltyatonemake atonementpay the priceget one's desertstake one's medicineinformal:get one's comeuppance
   • ▪ give what is due or deserved to (someone); reward or punish: "“I'll pay you for that,” he snarled"
   • 3. give or bestow (attention, respect, or a compliment) on (someone): "no one paid them any attention" Similar bestowpresentgrantgivehand outextendofferprofferrenderafford
   • ▪ make (a visit or call) to (someone): "she has been prevailed upon to pay us a visit"

   noun

   • 1. the money paid to someone for regular work: "those working on contract may receive higher rates of pay"

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘pacify’): from Old French paie (noun), payer (verb), from Latin pacare ‘appease’, from pax, pac- ‘peace’. The notion of ‘payment’ arose from the sense of ‘pacifying’ a creditor.

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • P

     3

   • A

     1

   • Y

     4

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