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owemore about owe

owe

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Owe  \Owe\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Owed},  ({Ought}obs.);  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Owing}.]  [OE.  owen,  awen,aghen,  to  have  own  have 
  (to  do),  hence  owe,  AS  [=a]gan  to  have  akin  to  G.  eigen, 
  a.,  own  Icel.  eiga  to  have  Dan.  eie,  Sw  ["a]ga,  Goth. 
  ['a]igan,  Skr.  ?.  ????.  Cf  {Ought},  v.,  2d  {Own}, 
  {Fraught}.] 
  1.  To  possess;  to  have  as  the  rightful  owner;  to  own  [Obs.] 
 
  Thou  dost  here  usurp  The  name  thou  ow'st  not 
  --Shak. 
 
  2.  To  have  or  possess,  as  something  derived  or  bestowed;  to 
  be  obliged  to  ascribe  (something  to  some  source);  to  be 
  indebted  or  obliged  for  as  he  owed  his  wealth  to  his 
  father;  he  owed  his  victory  to  his  lieutenants.  --Milton. 
 
  O  deem  thy  fall  not  owed  to  man's  decree.  --Pope. 
 
  3.  Hence:  To  have  or  be  under  an  obigation  to  restore,  pay 
  or  render  something  in  return  or  compensation  for 
  something  received;  to  be  indebted  in  the  sum  of  as  the 
  subject  owes  allegiance;  the  fortunate  owe  assistance  to 
  the  unfortunate. 
 
  The  one  ought  five  hundred  pence,  and  the  other 
  fifty.  --Bible 
  (1551). 
 
  A  son  owes  help  and  honor  to  his  father.  --Holyday. 
 
  Note:  Owe  was  sometimes  followed  by  an  objective  clause 
  introduced  by  the  infinitive.  ``Ye  owen  to  incline  and 
  bow  your  heart.''  --Chaucer. 
 
  4.  To  have  an  obligation  to  (some  one)  on  account  of 
  something  done  or  received;  to  be  indebted  to  as  to  iwe 
  the  grocer  for  supplies,  or  a  laborer  for  services. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  owe 
  v  1:  be  obliged  to  pay  or  repay 
  2:  be  indebted  to  in  an  abstract  or  intellectual  sense  "This 
  new  theory  owes  much  to  Einstein's  Relativity  Theory" 
  3:  be  in  debt;  "She  owes  me  $200";  "The  thesis  owes  much  to  his 
  adviser" 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  OWE,  v.  To  have  (and  to  hold)  a  debt.  The  word  formerly  signified 
  not  indebtedness,  but  possession;  it  meant  "own,"  and  in  the  minds  of 
  debtors  there  is  still  a  good  deal  of  confusion  between  assets  and 
  liabilities.




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