aught

¹

or ought

[ awt ]

noun

1. anything whatever; any part:

   for aught I know.

adverb

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

aught

²

or ought

[ awt ]

noun

1. a cipher (0); zero.
2. aughts, the first decade of any century, especially the years 1900 through 1909 or 2000 through 2009.

aught

³

[ awkht ]

verb (used with object)

, Scot.

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

adjective

, Scot.

1. possessed of.

noun

1. Archaic.
   1. ownership; possession.
   2. property; a possession.

aught

⁴

[ awkht ]

adjective

, Scot.

1. eight.
2. eighth.

aught

¹

/ ɔːt /

noun

1. See nought
   a less common word for nought

aught

²

/ ɔːt /

pronoun

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

adverb

1. dialect.
   in any least part; to any degree

Word History and Origins

Origin of aught¹

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

Origin of aught²

First recorded in 1820–25; from a naught, taken as an aught ( 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; eight

Word History and Origins

Origin of aught¹

Old English āwiht, from ā ever, ay ¹+ wiht thing; see wight ¹

Example Sentences

For aught we know, there may be millions of systems, each containing millions of solar systems.

From Project Gutenberg

In the tear-stained story of humanity there has never been aught to surpass the thrilling record of Cawnpore.

From Project Gutenberg

Not that a gentleman is aught but a gentleman anywhere, but courtesy is certainly not the Englishman's best point.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor did we see aught of him during the next few minutes that we spent glaring at Bevans and the surrounding territory.

From Project Gutenberg

And their common father had never seen aught but the faults of Marius and the virtues of Florimond.

From Project Gutenberg