aught

¹ American  

[awt] / ɔt /

Or ought

noun

1. anything whatever; any part.

   for aught I know.

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adverb

1. Archaic. in any degree; at all; in any respect.

aught ² American  

[awt] / ɔt /

Or ought

noun

1. a cipher (0); zero.

2. aughts, the first decade of any century, especially the years 1900 through 1909 or 2000 through 2009.

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aught ³ American  

[awkht] / ɔxt /

verb (used with object)

Scot.

1. to own; possess.

2. to owe (someone or something); be obligated to.

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adjective

Scot.

1. possessed of.

noun

1. Archaic.

   1. ownership; possession.

   2. property; a possession.

aught ⁴ American  

[awkht] / ɔxt /

adjective

Scot.

1. eight.

2. eighth.

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aught ¹ British  

/ ɔːt /

pronoun

1. anything at all; anything whatever (esp in the phrase for aught I know )

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adverb

1. dialect in any least part; to any degree

aught ² British  

/ ɔːt /

noun

1. a less common word for nought

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Etymology

Origin of aught¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English aught, ought, Old English āht, āwiht, ōwiht, equivalent to ā, ō “ever” + wiht “thing”; see wight ¹

Origin of aught²

First recorded in 1820–25; from a naught, taken as an aught ( cf. auger). See naught

Origin of aught³

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English æht; cognate with Old High German ēht, Gothic aihts; akin to owe, own

Origin of aught⁴

First recorded in 1100–50; Middle English aghte, aughte, variant of eighte; see eight

Explanation

Aught, not to be confused with the helping verb "ought," is a word you'll hear most often in the U.K., where, in a very confusing manner, it can mean either everything or — wait for it — nothing at all. Without getting too existential about things, it does seem kind of mind-blowing that a single word can stand in for the totality of the universe and the complete absence of matter, all at the same time. But the reason for the duality owes nothing to cosmic synchronicity. Rather, it came about through human error, as "an aught" sounds very much like "a nought," or "a zero." So no deep truth here, just another wrinkle in our linguistic evolution!

Example Sentences

"I only compare it to itself," Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Triple Aught Foundation board member, told Smithsonian Magazine.

From Salon • Oct. 25, 2022

Triple Aught just announced some $30 million in new donations to establish an endowment.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 21, 2022

Govan and Vander Weg tell me that visitors can soon apply for tickets on the Triple Aught website.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 21, 2022

Stephen Piggott, Fuego de mi Vida, Whiskey Brothers Aught Five, Chicago: The big news out of Fireland this week is word of an injury setback for German center back Arne Friedrich.

From The Guardian • Apr. 19, 2013

I know how pure thy soul, and would not have thee Aught other than thou art.

From Gycia A Tragedy in Five Acts by Morris, Lewis, Sir