aught


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aught

anything whatever; any part: for aught I know; a cipher; zero
Not to be confused with:
naught – nothing; be without result: come to naught; lost; ruined
ought – should; duty or obligation: You ought to go to the memorial service.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

aught 1

also ought  (ôt)
pron.
Anything whatever: "Neither of his parents had aught but praise for him" (Louis Auchincloss).

[Middle English, from Old English āuht; see aiw- in Indo-European roots.]

aught 2

 (ôt)
n.
The digit zero.

[From an aught, alteration of a naught; see naught.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

aught

(ɔːt) or used with a negative or in conditional or interrogative sentences or clauses

ought

pron
anything at all; anything whatever (esp in the phrase for aught I know)
adv
dialect in any least part; to any degree
[Old English āwiht, from ā ever, ay1 + wiht thing; see wight1]

aught

(ɔːt) or

ought

n
a less common word for nought
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

aught1

or ought

(ɔt)

n.
1. anything whatever; any part: for aught I know.
adv.
2. Archaic. in any degree; at all; in any respect.
[before 1000; Middle English; Old English āht, āwiht, ōwiht=ā, ō ever + wiht thing, wight1]

aught2

or ought.

(ɔt)

n.
a cipher (0); zero.
[1870–75; a naught, misdivided as an aught (compare auger). See naught]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

aught

- Another word for "nothing, zero."
See also related terms for zero.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.aught - a quantity of no importanceaught - a quantity of no importance; "it looked like nothing I had ever seen before"; "reduced to nil all the work we had done"; "we racked up a pathetic goose egg"; "it was all for naught"; "I didn't hear zilch about it"
relative quantity - a quantity relative to some purpose
nihil - (Latin) nil; nothing (as used by a sheriff after an unsuccessful effort to serve a writ); "nihil habet"
Fanny Adams, sweet Fanny Adams - little or nothing at all; "I asked for a raise and they gave me bugger-all"; "I know sweet Fanny Adams about surgery"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

aught

noun
Archaic. No thing; not anything:
Informal: zero.
Slang: nix, zilch.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

aught

[ɔːt] N (archaic or liter) → algo, alguna cosa; (with negation) → nada
if there is aught I can dosi puedo hacer algo, si puedo ayudarles de algún modo
for aught I care he canigual me da si él ...
for aught I knowque yo sepa
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

aught

n (old, liter)irgendetwas; he might have moved for aught I knowwas weiß ich, vielleicht ist er umgezogen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in classic literature ?
Let nothing linger after-- No whispering ghost remain, In wall, or beam, or rafter, Of any hate or pain: Cleanse and call home thy spirit, Deny her leave to cast, On aught thy heirs inherit, The shadow of her past.
The mates regularly relieved each other at the watches, and for aught that could be seen to the contrary, they seemed to be the only commanders of the ship; only they sometimes issued from the cabin with orders so sudden and peremptory, that after all it was plain they but commanded vicariously.
The moral I draw is that the writer should seek his reward in the pleasure of his work and in release from the burden of his thought; and, indifferent to aught else, care nothing for praise or censure, failure or success.
But, if there be in glory aught of good; It may be means far different be attained, Without ambition, war, or violence-- By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent, By patience, temperance.
One bright morning, soon after the stirring events told in the last chapter, Robin wandered forth alone down the road to Barnesdale, to see if aught had come of the Sheriff's pursuit.
The commons stand in terror of thy frown, And dare not utter aught that might offend, But I can overhear their muttered plaints, Know how the people mourn this maiden doomed For noblest deeds to die the worst of deaths.
For if they are capable of making greater advancement than I have made, they will much more be able of themselves to discover all that I believe myself to have found; since as I have never examined aught except in order, it is certain that what yet remains to be discovered is in itself more difficult and recondite, than that which I have already been enabled to find, and the gratification would be much less in learning it from me than in discovering it for themselves.
(We are far off, but sure our voice can reach.) If aught thou wouldst beseech, Speak where 'tis right; till then refrain from speech.
He returns to call to a fearful reckoning, those who, during his absence, have done aught that can be construed offence or encroachment upon either the laws of the land or the privileges of the crown.
Now the guardsmen were forcing the Princess of Helium up the few steps to the side of the tyrant of Okar, and I had no eyes and no thoughts for aught else.
But I have a task here, Alleyne, which is harder to me than aught that was set before me yesterday."
I never saw aught like to them, Unless perchance it were