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A.Word.A.Day--aught
aught also ought (awt) pronoun Anything whatever. adverb In any respect. [From Middle English, from Old English from á, ó (ever) + wiht (thing).] noun 1. Zero. 2. Nothing. [From a naught, misdivided as an aught.] Other words formed from the same process of respelling or false splitting are nickname (from "an ekename"), apron (a napperon), adder (a nadder), uncle (a nuncle), umpire (a noumpere), auger (a nauger), nonce (from the phrase "for the nones", by misdivision of "for then ones"). -Anu "No parent seemed to be aware of him, he made no effort to approach any of the traders. He patiently sat and waited for aught." Roger Harrison; Adam and Eid; Arab News (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia); Nov 20, 2003. "Now, as ever, I wish not to misrepresent Judge Douglas's position, question his motives, or do aught that can be personally offensive to him." Abraham Lincoln; A House Divided Speech; June 16, 1858.
X-BonusThey are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626) |
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