verb
dock
To cut off a portion.
The company docks an hour's pay for every missed shift.
Etymology
The older noun names a shortened tail. The verb grew from cutting a tail short to cutting away other portions, including figurative deductions from pay.
More examples
- The teacher docks points for late assignments.
- They docked my pay for arriving late.
- The veterinarian docked the puppy's tail.
Forms
dock · docks · docked · docking