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Webster 1913 Edition
Defray
De-fray′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Defrayed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Defraying
.] [F.
défrayer
; pref. dé-
(L. de
or dis-
) + frais
expense, fr. LL. fredum
, fridum
, expense, fine by which an offender obtained peace from his sovereign, or more likely, atoned for an offense against the public peace, fr. OHG. fridu
peace, G. friede
. See Affray
.] 1.
To pay or discharge; to serve in payment of; to provide for, as a charge, debt, expenses, costs, etc.
For the discharge of his expenses, and
defraying
his cost, he allowed him . . . four times as much. Usher.
2.
To avert or appease, as by paying off; to satisfy;
as, to
. defray
wrath[Obs.]
Spenser.
Webster 1828 Edition
Defray
DEFRAY
, v.t.1.
To pay; to discharge, as cost or expense; to bear, as charge, cost or expense. It is followed chiefly by expense, charge or cost. The acquisitions of war seldom defray the expenses. The profits of a voyage will not always defray the charges, or even the cost of the first outfits.2.
To satisfy; as, to defray anger.3.
To fill; as, to defray a bottle.Definition 2024
defray
defray
English
Verb
defray (third-person singular simple present defrays, present participle defraying, simple past and past participle defrayed)
- (obsolete) To spend (money).
- To pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something).
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.29:
- The expenses of the war, while in progress, were defrayed by executing rich men and confiscating their property.
- 2009, ‘A Viennese grind’, The Economist, 30 Jul 2009:
- Investors, meanwhile, got back a fraction of their money. Some say Mr Meinl’s €100m bail, paid by a source in Liechtenstein, should be used to defray their losses.
- 2010, Roy Greenslade, The Guardian, 9 Dec 2010:
- In order to help defray the substantial costs involved, they then raised revenue through taking advertisements.
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.29:
- (now rare) To pay for (something).
Translations
to pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something)