aught

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: ôt, IPA: /ɔːt/

  Rhymes: -ɔːt

• (US) enPR: ôt, IPA: /ɔt/
• (cot–caught merger) enPR: ät, IPA: /ɑt/

• Audio (US)

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Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

• ought

Pronoun

aught

1. anything whatever, any part.
   • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 29.

     to other objects, which for aught we know, may be only in appearance similar ;

   • 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 5

     His life among these fierce apes had been happy; for his recollection held no other life, nor did he know that there existed within the universe aught else than his little forest and the wild jungle animals with which he was familiar.

Translations

anything

Azeri: nə isə (az) Bulgarian: нещо (bg), каквото и да е (bg)

Portuguese: nada (pt) Russian: что-нибудь (ru)

Noun

aught (plural aughts)

1. whit, the smallest part, iota.
2. (archaic) zero
3. The digit zero as the decade in years. For example, aught-nine for 1909 or 2009.

Translations

zero

Bulgarian: нула (bg) Portuguese: zero (pt)

Russian: ноль (ru) m.

See also

• naught
• owt

Adverb

aught (not comparable)

1. (archaic) At all, in any degree, in any respect.

References

• aught in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Etymology 2

From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English ǣht, from āgan (“to owe", "to own”)

Alternative forms

• ought

Noun

aught (plural aughts)

1. Property; possession
2. Duty; place; office

Verb

aught (third-person singular simple present aughts, present participle aughting, simple past and past participle aughted)

1. to own, possess
2. to owe, be obliged or obligated to

Adjective

aught (comparative more aught, superlative most aught)

1. possessed of

Etymology 3

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

Cardinal number

aught

1. Obsolete or dialectal form of eight.