payoff

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Full payment of a salary or wages.
2. n. The time of such payment.
3. n. Informal A final settlement or reckoning.
4. n. Informal The climax of a narrative or sequence of events.
5. n. Final retribution or revenge.
6. n. Informal A bribe.

Wiktionary

1. n. alternative spelling of pay-off.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. profit or gain from an action; -- used broadly.
2. n. retribution, payback.
3. n. The act of giving or receiving money or other valuable consideration as a bribe.
4. n. The money or item given as a bribe.
5. n. same as compensation 2.
6. n. The climax or final result of an event or endeavor; the denoument of a narrative.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. pay someone with influence in order to receive a favor
2. v. pay off (loans or promissory notes)
3. v. take vengeance on or get even
4. v. yield a profit or result
5. v. do or give something to somebody in return
6. v. eliminate by paying off (debts)
7. n. the final payment of a debt
8. n. payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment
9. n. a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
10. n. the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property