Main Entry: pay off

Function: verb

Date: 1710

transitive verb

1 a : to give all due wages to; especially : to pay in full and discharge (an employee) b : to pay (a debt or a creditor) in full c : bribe
2 : to inflict retribution on
3 : to allow (a thread or rope) to run off a spool or drumintransitive verb : to yield returns