Dictionary of troublesome word. Bill Bryson. 2013.
naught, nought — Although dictionaries increasingly treat the words as interchangeable, traditionally the first means nothing (as in his efforts came to naught ) and the second is used to signify the figure zero. The game is noughts and crosses (known in the… … Dictionary of troublesome word
nought — naught, nought Naught is an archaic or literary word meaning ‘nothing’ and it survives chiefly in phrases such as come to naught or set at naught. In BrE nought is the term for the digit 0 (zero in AmE). The game called noughts and crosses in BrE … Modern English usage
nought — Naught Naught (n[add]t), n. [OE. naught, nought, naht, nawiht, AS. n[=a]wiht, n[=a]uht, n[=a]ht; ne not + [=a] ever + wiht thing, whit; hence, not ever a whit. See {No}, adv. {Whit}, and cf. {Aught}, {Not}.] 1. Nothing. [Written also {nought}.]… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Naught — (n[add]t), n. [OE. naught, nought, naht, nawiht, AS. n[=a]wiht, n[=a]uht, n[=a]ht; ne not + [=a] ever + wiht thing, whit; hence, not ever a whit. See {No}, adv. {Whit}, and cf. {Aught}, {Not}.] 1. Nothing. [Written also {nought}.] [1913 Webster]… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
naught — naught, nought Naught is an archaic or literary word meaning ‘nothing’ and it survives chiefly in phrases such as come to naught or set at naught. In BrE nought is the term for the digit 0 (zero in AmE). The game called noughts and crosses in BrE … Modern English usage
nought — (n.) O.E. nowiht nothing, variant of nawiht (see NAUGHT (Cf. naught)). Meaning zero, cipher is from early 15c. Expression for nought in vain is late 13c. To come to nought is from 1590s … Etymology dictionary
nought — [nôt] pron. [ME < OE nowiht < ne, not (see NO1) + owiht, awiht, AUGHT] nothing; naught n. 1. Arith. the figure zero (0) 2. alt. sp. of NAUGHT adj. Obs. NAUGHT … English World dictionary
nought — ► NOUN ▪ the digit 0. ► PRONOUN variant spelling of NAUGHT(Cf. ↑naught). ● noughts and crosses Cf. ↑noughts and crosses … English terms dictionary
naught — [nôt] pron. [ME < OE nawiht < na (see NO1) + wiht (see WIGHT1, WHIT)] nothing n. 1. nothing 2. alt. sp. of NOUGHT … English World dictionary
Nought — Nought, n. & adv. See {Naught}. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
