Main Entry: ¹pay·off

Pronunciation: \ˈpā-ˌȯf\

Function: noun

Date: 1905

1 a : profit, reward b : retribution
2 : the act or occasion of receiving money or material gain especially as compensation or as a bribe
3 : the climax of an incident or enterprise; specifically : the denouement of a narrative
4 : a decisive fact or factor resolving a situation or bringing about a definitive conclusion