nought

B2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /nʊt/ UK /nɔːt/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like newt /ʊ/ vs /uː/

Freq #31549

Meanings

1

noun
The number zero.

The temperature dropped to nought overnight.
2

noun
Nothing.

All his efforts came to nought in the end.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the number zero. zero

Word family

Forms noughts

Derived forms dreadnoughtnoughthnoughtiesnoughty

Etymology

From Middle English nought, noght, noȝt, from Old English nōwiht, nāwiht, which in turn comes from ne-ā-wiht, which was a phrase used as an emphatic "no", meaning "not anything". Equivalent to ne + ought or ne + a + wight. Doublet of naught and not.

nought Middle English nōwiht Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# nought

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /nʊt/
**IPA (UK):** /nɔːt/
**Frequency rank:** 31549

## Meanings
1. The number zero.
2. Nothing.

## Examples
- The temperature dropped to nought overnight.
- All his efforts came to nought in the end.

## Derived Forms
- dreadnought
- noughth
- noughties
- noughty

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: nought
- Root: nōwiht

## Etymology
From Middle English nought, noght, noȝt, from Old English nōwiht, nāwiht, which in turn comes from ne-ā-wiht, which was a phrase used as an emphatic "no", meaning "not anything". Equivalent to ne + ought or ne + a + wight. Doublet of naught and not.

## AI Etymology
Nought comes from Middle English nought, noght, noȝt, from Old English nōwiht, nāwiht, which in turn comes from ne-ā-wiht, which was a phrase used as an emphatic "no", meaning "not anything". Equivalent to ne + ought or ne + a + wight. Doublet of naught and not. The historical chain includes Middle English nought and Old English nōwiht. Modern senses include the number zero and nothing. The wider word family includes derivatives such as dreadnought, noughth, noughties, and noughty.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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