aught
pronunciation
How to pronounce aught in British English:
UK [ɔ:t]
How to pronounce aught in American English:
US [ɔt]
-
- Noun:
- a quantity of no importance
Word Origin
- aught (n.1)
- "something," Old English awiht "aught, anything, something," literally "e'er a whit," from Proto-Germanic *aiwi "ever" (from PIE *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity;" see eon) + *wihti "thing, anything whatever" (see wight). In Shakespeare, Milton and Pope, aught and ought occur indiscriminately.
- aught (n.2)
- "nothing, zero," faulty separation of a naught (see naught; see adder for the separation problem).
Example
- 1. Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite .
- 2. Commit no excesses in your religion : nor say of allah aught but truth .
- 3. Neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught against his life ;
- 4. And is there aught you would withhold ?
- 5. Wouldst thou aught with me ?