Aught

//ɔt// adv, noun, num, pron, verb

Definitions

Adverb
  1. 1
    At all, in any degree, in any respect. archaic, not-comparable

    "[…] and if your love Can labour aught in sad invention, Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb, And sing it to her bones [...]"

Noun
  1. 1
    Whit, the smallest part, iota. archaic
  2. 2
    Zero. proscribed, sometimes
  3. 3
    Estimation. regional, uncountable

    "in my aught"

  4. 4
    a quantity of no importance; thing (object:), singular, negative pronoun; pronoun, thing, singular; quantifier: negative existential wordnet
  5. 5
    The digit zero.
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    Of importance or consequence (in the phrase "of aught"). regional, uncountable

    "an event of aught"

  2. 7
    Esteem, respect. obsolete, rare, regional, uncountable

    "a man of aught"

Numeral
  1. 1
    Obsolete or dialectal form of eight. alt-of, dialectal, obsolete

    "Seven — aught — aught tines on the antlers. By G—d, a hart of aught tines, and the first of the season!"

Pronoun
  1. 1
    Anything whatsoever, any part. archaic, dialectal

    "for aught I know/care"

Verb
  1. 1
    Obsolete or dialectal form of ought alt-of, dialectal, obsolete

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at wight.

Etymology 2

From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at wight.

Etymology 3

From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at wight.

Etymology 4

Rebracketing of a naught.

Etymology 5

From Middle English aught (“estimation, regard, reputation”), from Old English æht (“estimation, consideration”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahtu. Cognate with Dutch acht (“attention, regard, heed”), German Acht (“attention, regard”). Also see ettle.

Etymology 6

Originally the past tense of owe.

Etymology 7

From Middle English ahte, from Old English eahta (“eight”). More at eight.

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