I. pronoun
or nought ˈnȯt, ˈnät, usu -d.+V
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nāwiht, nōwiht (akin to Old High German neowiht ), from nā, nō no + wiht creature, thing — more at no , wight
1.
a. : nothing
can do naught but give ourselves wholly to it — L.A.White
has heard naught but good of me — J.H.Wheelwright
b. : a state of utter ineffectualness : an insignificant result
these promising beginnings … were brought to naught — Stephen Ullmann
his efforts to purge his own party came to naught — Norman Thomas
2. obsolete : what is wrong in morals or method : evil , error
II. noun
or nought “
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nāwiht, nōwiht, from nāwiht, nōwiht, pron.
1.
a. : nothing
b.
(1) : nothingness , nonexistence
a shift of emphasis from existential analysis to ontology … from the naught to what the naught manifests concerning the real — James Collins
(2) usually capitalized , cabalism : the depths of the Godhead
communion with the Naught, … a much higher rank than communion with the Shekhinah — G.G.Scholem
(2) : the arithmetical symbol 0 : zero , cipher — see number table
III. adjective
or nought “
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nāwiht, from nāwiht, pron.
1. archaic : of no worth : bad , unfit
the water is naught and the ground barren — 2 Kings 2:19 (Authorized Version)
2. : of no existence, importance, or effect : insignificant
why give him publicity and importance when our critics are convinced that he is naught — United India & Indian States
: nonexistent
a whole city made naught by the bomb
: ruined