"pay for itself" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pays for itself",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "paying for itself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "paid for itself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "paid for itself",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "pay<,,paid> for itself"
      },
      "expansion": "pay for itself (third-person singular simple present pays for itself, present participle paying for itself, simple past and past participle paid for itself)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1950 July, “Long Welded Rails in America”, in Railway Magazine, page 434",
          "text": "Although welded rails cost considerably more to lay than ordinary track, there is a great saving in maintenance, and it is estimated that welding pays for itself in less than three years.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To produce or result in revenue which will cover its costs."
      ],
      "id": "en-pay_for_itself-en-verb-~YW6aRR6",
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "break even"
        },
        {
          "word": "wash its face"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "pay for itself"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pays for itself",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "paying for itself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "paid for itself",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "paid for itself",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "pay<,,paid> for itself"
      },
      "expansion": "pay for itself (third-person singular simple present pays for itself, present participle paying for itself, simple past and past participle paid for itself)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "break even"
    },
    {
      "word": "wash its face"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1950 July, “Long Welded Rails in America”, in Railway Magazine, page 434",
          "text": "Although welded rails cost considerably more to lay than ordinary track, there is a great saving in maintenance, and it is estimated that welding pays for itself in less than three years.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To produce or result in revenue which will cover its costs."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "pay for itself"
}