Aught

Pronunciation

• UK enPR: ôt, IPA: /ɔːt/Rhymes: -ɔːt
• US enPR: ôt, IPA: /É”t/
• cot-caught enPR: ät, IPA: /É‘t/

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

Alternative forms

• ought

Full definition of aught

Pronoun

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
• AddisonBut go, my son, and see if aught be wanting.
• 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 5His 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.

Noun

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.

Adverb

1. (archaic) At all, in any degree, in any respect.
• 1599, William Shakespeare, ,... and if your loveCan labour aught in sad invention,Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb,And sing it to her bones ...

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

Alternative forms

• ought

Noun

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

Verb

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

Adjective

1. possessed of

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

Numeral

numeral

1. Form of Obsolete or dialectal form.