Defray
/dɪˈfreɪ/noun
To pay for or cover the cost of something.
Did you know?Defray comes from a French verb built from a root meaning “to break,” so the word’s history literally links payment with the act of breaking a burden apart.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰreg̑-
“to break”
Latin
Latin
frangere
“to break”
Late Latin
Latin
defrangere
“to break off, break in pieces”
Old French
Old French
defrayer
“to pay expenses, literally to break the cost apart”
Middle English
English
defrayen
“to pay for or bear the expense of”
Modern English
English
defray
“to pay for or cover the cost of something”