pay-off

• payoff

Deverbal from pay off.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpeɪ.ɒf/, American: IPA^(key): /ˈpeɪ.ɔːf/

pay-off (plural pay-offs)

1. A payment in full; the state of having been paid in full.

   At the current monthly payment level, it'll take 32 more months to reach pay-off.

2. A reward.

   What's the pay-off for putting up with her nonsense for ages on end?

3. A return on investment.

   How soon could we realistically expect any pay-off from loading up on shares of that company?

4. A bribe.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bribe

   The prison break never could have succeeded if it hadn't been for multiple pay-offs to various corrupt officers.

5. (colloquial) A resolution or justification of an event that has already occurred, especially in fiction.

   Where's the pay-off for that whole segment of the plot?

6. (baseball) Short for payoff pitch.

   The bases are loaded, so he'd better make the pay-off count.