Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See naught.
  • See naught.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun See naught.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Nothing; something which does not exist.
  • noun A thing or person of no worth or value; nil.
  • noun Not any quantity of number; zero; the score of no points in a game.
  • noun The figure or character representing, or having the shape of, zero.
  • adjective obsolete Good for nothing; worthless.
  • adjective Wicked, immoral.
  • verb To abase, to set at nought.
  • adverb To no extent; in no way; not at all.
  • adverb Not.
  • pronoun Nothing; zero.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English noght, from Old English nōwiht, which in turn comes from ne-ō-wiht which was a phrase used as an emphatic no meaning "not a thing". Eventually this degenerated into 'nought', 'nawt' and then 'not'.

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Examples

  • I'm despert -- I'm despert, as far as I think of myself, but there's nought -- _nought_ -- as I wouldn't do to serve

    A Girl of the People L. T. Meade 1884

  • Our electronic search ended in nought but disappointment.

    Slumdog Millionaire Wins All The BAFTAs. All Of Them. 2009

  • (That so many promised family reunions have come to nought is indicative of how poorly, on the whole, both sets of leaders — not just the tyrants in the North — have served the Korean people.)

    The illegitimate nephew of Napoleon Matthew Guerrieri 2008

  • (That so many promised family reunions have come to nought is indicative of how poorly, on the whole, both sets of leaders — not just the tyrants in the North — have served the Korean people.)

    Archive 2008-02-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2008

  • She launched the festival, and in the first year had 800 visitors, in the second year, 12,000, yes, that nought is 12,000, and now has so many people who want to come along, that they have big-screen monitors and overflow tents.

    In Case of Litfest Break Glass Sharon Bakar 2005

  • She launched the festival, and in the first year had 800 visitors, in the second year, 12,000, yes, that nought is 12,000, and now has so many people who want to come along, that they have big-screen monitors and overflow tents.

    Archive 2005-07-01 Sharon Bakar 2005

  • [195] "The Hindus call the nought explicitly _ ['s] [= u] nyabindu_ 'the dot marking a blank,' and about 500 A.D. they marked it by a simple dot, which latter is commonly used in inscriptions and MSS. in order to mark a blank, and which was later converted into a small circle."

    The Hindu-Arabic Numerals David Eugene Smith 1902

  • He started and gazed around "Solitude!" cried he, with a faint smile; "nought is here, but Wallace and his sorrow.

    The Scottish Chiefs 1875

  • I've never heard her called nought but Bess, you see. "

    The King's Daughters Emily Sarah Holt 1864

  • All the previous corruption sagas have come to nought, which is partly why many Nigerians are cynical about the anti-corruption moves.

    Archive 2005-10-01 uknaija 2005

Comments

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  • Wordies love puns. Here's a new one from fearnought screen.

    February 12, 2008