aught

aught
I. pronoun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English āwiht, from ā ever + wiht creature, thing — more at aye, wight Date: before 12th century 1. anything 2. all, everything <
for aught I care
>
<
for aught we know
>
II. adverb Date: 13th century archaic at all III. noun Etymology: alteration (resulting from false division of a naught) of naught Date: 1872 1. zero, cipher 2. archaic nonentity, nothing

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Aught — Aught, n. [OE. aught, ought, awiht, AS. [=a]wiht, [=a] ever + wiht. [root]136. See {Aye} ever, and {Whit}, {Wight}.] Anything; any part. [Also written {ought}.] [1913 Webster] There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord has spoken.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • aught — is an Old English word that survives only in the fixed expressions for aught I know and for aught I care, and as such is restricted to literary or archaic use …   Modern English usage

  • aught — [ôt] n. [ME < OE awiht < a, ever + wiht, a creature, WIGHT1] 1. anything whatever [for aught I know] [< a naught 2. (see NAUGHT), by faulty separation into an aught] a zero adv. Archaic to a …   English World dictionary

  • Aught — Aught, Aucht Aucht, n. [AS. ?ht, fr. [=a]gan to own, p. p. [=a]hte.] Property; possession. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Aught — ([add]t), adv. At all; in any degree. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • aught — aught·lins; aught; …   English syllables

  • aught — [o:t US o:t, a:t] pron [: Old English; Origin: awiht, from a ever + wiht creature, thing ] old use anything …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • aught — (also ought) ► PRONOUN archaic ▪ anything at all. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • aught — {{11}}aught (1) something, O.E. awiht aught, anything, something, lit. e er a whit, from P.Gmc. *aiwi ever (from PIE *aiw vital force, life, long life, eternity ) + *wihti thing, anything whatever (see WIGHT (Cf. wight)). In Shakespeare, Milton… …   Etymology dictionary

  • aught — aught1 /awt/, n. 1. anything whatever; any part: for aught I know. adv. 2. Archaic. in any degree; at all; in any respect. Also, ought. [bef. 1000; ME aught, ought, OE aht, awiht, owiht, equiv. to a, o ever + wiht thing, WIGHT1] aught …   Universalium

  • aught — I or ought II [[t]ɔt[/t]] n. 1) anything whatever; any part: for aught I know[/ex] 2) archaic in any degree; at all; in any respect • Etymology: bef. 1000; ME; OE āht, āwiht, ōwiht=ā, ō ever +wiht thing, wight I II aught or ought III [[t]ɔt[/t]]… …   From formal English to slang

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