Middle English Dictionary Entry

ought pron.
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Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) Anything, anything whatever; also, anything of value or avail; ~ muchel, any large amount of money; ~ amounten, ben ~ worth, to be worth anything, be of any avail; (b) ~ of, anything concerning or pertaining to (sb. or sth.); knouen (finden, heren, leren, reden, tellen, etc.) ~ of; ~ connen ther-on, to know anything about it; haven ~ to don with, have anything to do with (sb.); (c) ~ elles, anything further or besides; anything different; anything else; ~ more, anything further or additional; (d) what..~ (..) but, what..except; (e) for ~, in spite of anything, despite any amount, for all; for ~ that mai befalle (bitide), etc.; (f) for ~ ich wot (can, se), for all I know (see); for ~ he wot (wiste); for ~ ich can me avisen, as far as I can consider; for (bi, in) ~ ich can aspien, in ~ ich can sen, bi ~ ich sen can, bi (in) ~ that ich can sen, as far as I can see; bi ~ that ich can witen, as far as I can tell; in ~ that he may gessen, for ~ he coude adverten, as far as he can (could) tell; in ~ that he gan gesse, as far as he perceives; (g) in ~, in any way, at all; (h) in proverbs or sayings; as still as ~, completely still, as still as anything.
2.
(a) Any portion or amount of a human body, one's will, things heard, etc.; (b) any trace of someone; sen (afinden) ~ of, to see (find) any trace of (sb.); (c) felen ~ of, to feel any contact with (Christ).
3.
(a) Something; ben ~, to be a person worthy of consideration, be somebody; (b) everything; everi ~, everything; (c) math. some (any) numerical quantity; (d) in sayings or proverbs; for ~ for (or) nought, come what may.