1.
payment; settling of accounts
The act of paying money. Often used in compounds to specify payment methods or timing.
2.
sweeping motion; brushing away; purification
A sweeping or brushing action to remove something. In Shinto contexts, refers to ritual purification to ward off evil spirits or impurity.
Derived from the verb 払う. In sense 1, commonly used in compound forms: カード払い (card payment), 現金払い (cash payment), 分割払い (installment payment), 一括払い (lump-sum payment), 後払い (pay later). Note that in compounds, 払い often voices to ばらい. In sense 2, the Shinto term 大祓 refers to the grand purification ceremony held twice yearly. See also 払い (voiced compound form).