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noun B2 Upper-Intermediate

nought

nawt

Nought (noun) means Zero; the number or figure representing nothing. Example: “She wrote a two followed by three noughts.”

noun
1
Zero; the number or figure representing nothing.
"She wrote a two followed by three noughts."
"The score ended nought-nought after extra time."
2
Nothing at all.
"All his careful planning came to nought when the flight was cancelled."

How to use nought

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA British way of saying "zero" or "nothing."

UK vs US

Common in British English, especially in phone numbers and scores; Americans usually say "zero" or "oh."

Easily confused with
Common pairings
come to nought nought or two noughts and crosses

Word forms

noughted past tense, noughts plural, noughts singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She wrote a two followed by three _____.

Etymology

From Old English nōwiht, a fusion of "no" and "wight" (creature/thing) — literally "not anything." A doublet of "naught" and "not."

Origin: Old English

Related words

Rhymes for nought

See all rhymes for nought →

Frequently asked questions

What does “nought” mean?

The word “nought” means zero; the number or figure representing nothing. In plain terms, a British way of saying "zero" or "nothing.".

How do you pronounce “nought”?

“Nought” is pronounced nawt (/nɔt/ in IPA).

How do you use “nought” in a sentence?

Here is “nought” used in a sentence: “She wrote a two followed by three noughts.”

What part of speech is “nought”?

“Nought” is a noun.

Where does the word “nought” come from?

The word “nought” comes from Old English. From Old English nōwiht, a fusion of "no" and "wight" (creature/thing) — literally "not anything." A doublet of "naught" and "not.".

How many meanings does “nought” have?

“Nought” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: zero; the number or figure representing nothing.

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