naught

Alternative forms

• nought

Etymology

From the Middle English naught, nought, naht, nawiht, from Old English nawiht, "no wight".

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation): enPR: nôt, IPA^(key): /nɔːt/
• (US): enPR: nôt, IPA^(key): /nɔt/
• (cot–caught merger): enPR: nät, IPA^(key): /nɑt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔːt
• Homophone: not (in accents with the cot-caught merger), knot (in accents with the cot-caught merger)

Pronoun

naught

1. (archaic) Nothing.

   Naught can come of this, you mark my words.

Noun

naught (countable and uncountable, plural naughts)

1. (archaic) Nothingness.
2. (chiefly US, old-fashioned) Alternative spelling of nought

Numeral

naught

1. (chiefly US, old-fashioned) Alternative spelling of nought

References

• naught in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913