Naught
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [1]
NAUGHT. ‘Naught’ is ‘nothing’ (from A.S. na ‘not,’ and wiht ‘a whit or a thing’). Sometimes the spelling became ‘nought’ (perhaps under the influence of ‘ought’). In the earliest editions of AV [Note: Authorized Version.] there is no difference between ‘naught’ and ‘nought’; but in the ed. of 1638 a difference was introduced, ‘naught’ being used in 2 Kings 2:19 , Proverbs 20:14 , because there the meaning is ‘bad’; ‘nought’ everywhere else, but with the meaning ‘worthlessness.’ This distinction was preserved by Scrivener, in his Cambr. Par. Bible , and is found in most modern English Bibles.
‘Naughty,’ however, is simply ‘worthless,’ as Jeremiah 24:2 ‘very naughty figs.’ But ‘ naughtiness ’ always means ‘wickedness,’ as Proverbs 11:6 ‘transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.’
King James Dictionary [2]
NAUGHT, n. Nothing.
Doth Job serve God for naught? Job 1 .
Thou sellest thy people for naught. Psalms 44 .
To set at naught, to slight, to disregard or despise.
Ye have set at naught all my counsel. Proverbs 1 .
NAUGHT, adv. In no degree
To wealth or sovereign power he naught applied.
NAUGHT, a. Bad worthless of no value or account.
Things naught and things indifferent.
It is naught, it is naught, says the buyer. Proverbs 20 .
Webster's Dictionary [3]
(1): ( a.) Hence, vile; base; naughty.
(2): ( adv.) Nothing.
(3): ( adv.) The arithmetical character 0; a cipher. See Cipher.
(4): ( adv.) In no degree; not at all.
(5): ( a.) Of no value or account; worthless; bad; useless.
