nought
/nɔ:t/
Definition
Noun: 1. The digit zero (0): The mathematical symbol representing the number zero, or the number itself. 2. (Archaic/Literary) Nothing, a thing of no value or significance: Used to denote the absence of anything or something worthless.
Usage
- As a numeral: 'Nought' is primarily used in British English to mean the digit or number 0. It is often used in formal contexts, mathematics, or when reciting numbers digit by digit (e.g., phone numbers, decimals).
- As a concept of nothingness: This usage is now largely literary or archaic, often found in fixed phrases and idioms.
Examples
- Numerical Usage:
- The final score was three-nought (3-0).
- Zero point five (0.5) can be read as "nought point five".
- The number has a nought in the tens column.
- Conceptual Usage (Archaic/Literary):
- All his efforts came to nought. (All his efforts came to nothing/ended in failure.)
- He was a man of nought. (He was a man of no importance.)
Advanced Usage
- "To come to nought": To end in failure; to result in nothing.
- Their ambitious plans eventually came to nought.
- "To set at nought": To treat as unimportant; to disregard or defy completely.
- He set all warnings at nought and proceeded with the risky venture.
Variants and Related Words
- Naught (noun): An alternative spelling, more common in American English, which can carry the same meanings but is also used in the phrase "all for naught" (meaning 'all for nothing').
- Zero (noun): The more common and standard term for the number 0 in modern English, especially in American English and scientific contexts.
- Nothing (noun): The general term for not anything; the absence of something.
Synonyms
- Zero
- Nil (often used in sports scores)
- Nothing
- Cipher (formal/literary)
Related Idioms
- "Noughts and crosses": The British English name for the game known as "tic-tac-toe" in American English.
- "A nought": (Informal, dated) A person considered to be worthless or of no importance.
- He's a complete nought.
Noun
-
a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number
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