I. ˈō verb
( owed ˈōd ; or archaic ought ˈȯt ; owed or archaic ought ; owing ; owes )
Etymology: Middle English owe, ogh & oweth, ogh (1st & 3d person singular present indicative respectively of owen to possess, own, owe, past owede, oughte ), from Old English āh (1st & 3d person singular present indicative of āgan to possess, own, owe, past āhte ); akin to Old High German eigun (1st & 3d person plural present indicative) possess, have, Old Norse ā (1st & 3d person singular present indicative) possess, have, am obliged (infin. eiga ), Gothic aih (1st & 3d person singular present indicative) possess, have, Sanskrit īśe he possesses, owns
transitive verb
1.
a. archaic : possess , own
b. dialect England : to claim as one's possession
c. : to have or bear (a specified feeling or relation) to someone or something
owes his master a grudge
2.
a.
(1) : to be under an obligation to pay or repay in return for something received : be indebted in the sum of
owes me five dollars
(2) : to be under obligation to render (as duty or service)
the homage which man owes his Creator — M.W.Baldwin
b. : to have an obligation to on account of something done or received : be indebted to
owes the grocer for supplies
3. : to have or possess as something derived or bestowed : be indebted or obliged for
owed his wealth to his father
owes his fame chiefly to his professional activities — Dumas Malone
intransitive verb
1. : to be in debt
owes for his house
2. obsolete : to be under obligations to someone
II. ˈ(y)ō
dialect England
variant of ewe