something that remunerates
"wages were paid by check"
"he wasted his pay on drink"
"they saved a quarter of all their earnings"
Money given in return for work; salary or wages.
"The company promised to pay its new employees an hourly rate that reflects their hard work."
In plain English: Pay is the money you get for doing a job.
"Did you pay your bills yet?"
Usage: Use "pay" to refer specifically to the money an employee receives for their labor, such as receiving weekly pay at the end of the month. It is distinct from "salary," which denotes a fixed annual amount, and "wages," which are typically calculated by the hour or piece.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
"I paid four dollars for this sandwich"
"Pay the waitress, please"
do or give something to somebody in return
"Does she pay you for the work you are doing?"
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"
To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.
"The old sailor spent the afternoon paying the hull of his weathered fishing boat to protect it from rotting in the salty water."
To cover (the bottom of a vessel, a seam, a spar, etc.) with tar or pitch, or a waterproof composition of tallow, resin, etc.; to smear.
In plain English: To pay means to give someone money for something you bought or received.
"I need to pay the bill at the restaurant before I leave."
Usage: Use the everyday meaning of "pay" to indicate giving money in exchange for goods or services, such as paying a bill or paying an employee. Avoid using this term to describe covering a vessel with tar or pitch, which is the obsolete nautical definition provided in your context.
Operable or accessible on deposit of coins.
"The vending machine was not working because you had to pay for the soda by dropping in quarters rather than swiping a card."
"The pay phone on the corner has been broken for weeks."
Usage: The adjective form of "pay" is archaic and rarely used in modern English; instead, use the phrase "paying" to describe something that requires coinage, such as a paying guest or paying window.
A surname.
"The Pay family has lived in that valley for five generations."
The word "pay" comes from the Latin verb pācāre, which originally meant "to pacify" or "settle." It entered English through Old French, eventually replacing the native Germanic words for payment that are now found in "yield."