pay

I. verb (paid; also in sense 7 payed; paying) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French paier, from Latin pacare to pacify, from pac-, pax peace Date: 13th century transitive verb 1. a. to make due return to for services rendered or property delivered b. to engage for money ; hire <

you couldn't pay me to do that

> 2. a. to give in return for goods or service <

pay wages

> b. to discharge indebtedness for ; settle <

pay a bill

> c. to make a disposal or transfer of (money) 3. to give or forfeit in expiation or retribution <

pay the penalty

> 4. a. to make compensation for b. to requite according to what is deserved <

pay them back

> 5. to give, offer, or make freely or as fitting <

pay attention

> <

pay your respects

> 6. a. to return value or profit to <

it pays you to stay open

> b. to bring in as a return <

an investment paying five percent

> 7. to slacken (as a rope) and allow to run out — used with out intransitive verb 1. to discharge a debt or obligation 2. to be worth the expense or effort <

crime doesn't pay

> 3. to suffer the consequences of an act Synonyms: pay, compensate, remunerate, satisfy, reimburse, indemnify, repay, recompense mean to give money or its equivalent in return for something. pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred <

paid their bills on time

>. compensate implies a making up for services rendered or help given <

an attorney well compensated for her services

>. remunerate more clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for <

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

>. satisfy implies paying a person what is demanded or required by law <

all creditors will be satisfied in full

>. reimburse implies a return of money that has been expended for another's benefit <

reimbursed employees for expenses

>. indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare <

indemnified the families of the dead miners

>. repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount <

repay a favor with a favor

>. recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward <

hotel guests were recompensed for their inconvenience

>. II. noun Date: 14th century 1. something paid for a purpose and especially as a salary or wage ; remuneration 2. a. the act or fact of paying or being paid b. the status of being paid by an employer ; employ 3. a person viewed with respect to reliability or promptness in paying debts or bills 4. a. ore or a natural deposit that yields metal and especially gold in profitable amounts b. an oil-yielding stratum or zone Synonyms: see wage III. adjective Date: 1856 1. containing or leading to something precious or valuable 2. equipped with a coin slot for receiving a fee for use <

a pay telephone

> 3. requiring payment IV. transitive verb (payed; also paid; paying) Etymology: obsolete French peier, from Latin picare, from pic-, pix pitch — more at pitch Date: 1627 to coat with a waterproof composition