# nought

> English word · Noun · IPA /nɔːt/ · frequency rank #52,527

## Definitions
1. Nothing; something which does not exist.
2. A thing or person of no worth or value; nil.
3. Not any quantity of number; zero; the score of no points in a game.
4. The figure or character representing, or having the shape of, zero.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nought