pay one's dues
adjective
1.
owed at present; having reached the date for payment: This bill is due.
2.
owing or owed, irrespective of whether the time of payment has arrived: This bill is due next month.
3.
owing or observed as a moral or natural right.
4.
rightful; proper; fitting: due care; in due time.
5.
adequate; sufficient: a due margin for delay.
noun
7.
something that is due, owed, or naturally belongs to someone.
8.
Usually, dues. a regular fee or charge payable at specific intervals, especially to a group or organization: membership dues.
00:10
Pay one's dues
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
11.
due to,
a.
attributable to; ascribable to: The delay was due to heavy traffic.
b.
because of; owing to: All planes are grounded due to fog.
12.
give someone his/her due,
a.
to give what justice demands; treat fairly: Even though he had once cheated me, I tried to give him his due.
b.
to credit a disliked or dishonorable person for something that is likable, honorable, or the like.
13.
pay one's dues, to earn respect, a position, or a right by hard work, sacrifice, or experience: She's a famous musician now, but she paid her dues with years of practice and performing in small towns.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Middle French deu, past participle of devoir < Latin dēbēre to owe; see debt
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Middle French deu, past participle of devoir < Latin dēbēre to owe; see debt
Related forms
due·ness, noun
Usage note
11. Due to as a prepositional phrase meaning “because of, owing to” has been in use since the 14th century: Due to the sudden rainstorm, the picnic was moved indoors. Some object to this use on the grounds that due is historically an adjective and thus should be used only predicatively in constructions like The delay was due to electrical failure. Despite such objections, due to occurs commonly as a compound preposition and is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
11. Due to as a prepositional phrase meaning “because of, owing to” has been in use since the 14th century: Due to the sudden rainstorm, the picnic was moved indoors. Some object to this use on the grounds that due is historically an adjective and thus should be used only predicatively in constructions like The delay was due to electrical failure. Despite such objections, due to occurs commonly as a compound preposition and is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To pay one's dues
Collins
World English Dictionary
due (djuː) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | (postpositive) immediately payable |
| 2. | (postpositive) owed as a debt, irrespective of any date for payment |
| 3. | requisite; fitting; proper |
| 4. | (prenominal) adequate or sufficient; enough |
| 5. | (postpositive) expected or appointed to be present or arrive: the train is now due |
| 6. | due to attributable to or caused by |
| —n | |
| 7. | something that is owed, required, or due |
| 8. | give a person his due to give or allow a person what is deserved or right |
| —adv | |
| 9. | directly or exactly; straight: a course due west |
| usage The use of due to as a compound preposition (the performance has been cancelled due to bad weather) was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
due
mid-14c., from O.Fr. deu, pp. of devoir "to owe," from L. debere "to owe" (see debt). In reference to points of the compass (e.g. due east) it is attested from c.1600, originally nautical, from notion of "fitting, rightful."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
pay (one's) dues definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
pay one's dues
Earn something through hard work, long experience, or suffering. For example, She'd paid her dues in small-town shows before she finally got a Broadway part. This expression transfers the cost of being a paid-up member in an organization to that of gaining experience in an endeavor. [Mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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