From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at wight.
Meanings
(archaic, not-comparable) At all, in any degree, in any respect.
[…] and if your love
Can labour aught in sad invention,
Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb,
And sing it to her bones [...] 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
From Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”). More at wight.
Meanings
(archaic, dialectal) Anything whatsoever, any part.
Then Proclamation was made, that they that had ought to ſay for their Lord the King againſt the Priſoner at the Bar, ſhould forthwith appear and give in their evidence. 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, page 129:
for aught I know/care
But go, my Son, and ſee if aught be vvanting / Among thy Father's Friends; […] 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 58:
There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. 1977, J. R. R. Tolkien, “Ainulindalë”, in Silmarillion:
His life among these fierce apes had been happy; for his recollection held no other life, nor did he know that there existed within the universe aught else than his little forest and the wild jungle animals with which he was familiar. 1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 5, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, June 1914, →OCLC:
[…] wouldst thou aught with me? c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
[…]to other objects, which for aught we know, may be only in appearance similar. 1748, [David Hume], “chapter 29”, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
But as soon as her son espied her, bowl in hand, he thought that haply something untoward had befallen her, but he would not ask of aught until such time as she had set down the bowl, when she acquainted him with that which had occurred[…] 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:
It was a foolish thing to do; but when was happy youth aught but foolish? 1881, E[liza] Lynn Linton, “In the Morning”, in “My Love!” […], volume I, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, page 1:
From Middle English aught (“estimation, regard, reputation”), from Old English ǣht (“estimation, consideration”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahtu. Cognate with Dutch acht (“attention, regard, heed”), German Acht (“attention, regard”). Also see ettle.
Meanings
(regional, uncountable) Estimation.
in my aught
(regional, uncountable) Of importance or consequence (in the phrase "of aught").
Seven — aught — aught tines on the antlers. By G—d, a hart of aught tines, and the first of the season! 1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III) (in English), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC: