to bear or pay all or part of (the costs, expenses, etc.): The grant helped defray the expenses of the trip.
Origin: 1535–45; < MF défrayer, OF deffroier to pay costs, equiv. to de-dis-1+ frayer to bear the costs, deriv. of frais, fres (pl.) costs, prob. < L frācta things broken (see fracture), hence, expense incurred from breakage
[di-frey] 
