释义 |
owe I. \ˈō\ verb (owed \ˈōd\ ; or archaic ought \ˈȯt\ ; owed or archaic ought ; owing ; owes) Etymology: Middle English owe, ogh & oweth, ogh (1st & 3d person singular present indicative respectively of owen to possess, own, owe, past owede, oughte), from Old English āh (1st & 3d person singular present indicative of āgan to possess, own, owe, past āhte); akin to Old High German eigun (1st & 3d person plural present indicative) possess, have, Old Norse ā (1st & 3d person singular present indicative) possess, have, am obliged (infin. eiga), Gothic aih (1st & 3d person singular present indicative) possess, have, Sanskrit īśe he possesses, owns transitive verb 1. a. archaic : possess, own b. dialect England : to claim as one's possession c. : to have or bear (a specified feeling or relation) to someone or something < owes his master a grudge > 2. a. (1) : to be under an obligation to pay or repay in return for something received : be indebted in the sum of < owes me five dollars > (2) : to be under obligation to render (as duty or service) < the homage which man owes his Creator — M.W.Baldwin > b. : to have an obligation to on account of something done or received : be indebted to < owes the grocer for supplies > 3. : to have or possess as something derived or bestowed : be indebted or obliged for < owed his wealth to his father > < owes his fame chiefly to his professional activities — Dumas Malone > intransitive verb 1. : to be in debt < owes for his house > 2. obsolete : to be under obligations to someone II. \ˈ(y)ō\ dialect England variant of ewe |