nowtn.1
/naʊt/, U.S. /naʊt/, Scottish English /nʌʊt/α. Middle English naut (chiefly northern), Middle English naute (chiefly northern), Middle English noute, Middle English nowte, Middle English nowtte, Middle English nowwt ( Ormulum), Middle English nute (probably transmission error), Middle English 1600s nout, Middle English 1600s– nowt, Middle English–1500s nawte (northern), 1500s newte (northern); English regional (northern) 1600s naut, 1700s– nawt, 1800s newt (historical), 1800s– knout, 1800s– nout, 1800s– nowte; Scottish pre-1700 neout, pre-1700 noute, pre-1700 novit, pre-1700 novt, pre-1700 nowit, pre-1700 nowtt, pre-1700 nowyt, pre-1700 1700s– nout, pre-1700 1700s– nowt, pre-1700 1700s– nowte, 1800s knowt, 1800s knowte, 1800s naut, 1800s nought.
β. 1500s noet, 1500s noote, 1500s note; English regional (northern) 1600s 1800s note, 1800s– noth (Yorkshire, in compounds); Scottish pre-1700 noat, pre-1700 note, pre-1700 noyt, 1900s– njut (Shetland), 1900s– nød (in sense 2b), 1900s– not (Shetland), 1900s– nut (Shetland).
See also nolt n. Now Scottish and English regional (northern).
1. In plural. Cattle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > bos taurus or ox > [noun] > oxen or cattle
rothereOE
neateOE
orfOE
erf1154
nowtsc1175
field beasta1382
nolt1437
cattle1555
neat cattle1619
chattel1627
beefc1706
horned cattle1781
cows1869
bullamacow1887
beeves-
α.
β. c1480 (a1400) St. Katherine 37 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 443 Þe raryng, & þe bere of noyt & schepe.1525 in State Papers Henry VIII (1836) IV. 371 The said Erle hath also wonne thirty score noote,..and many good horses.1544 Ld. Hertford's Raid (1798) 14 A great nomber of cattel, bothe note and shepe.1662 in R. Pitcairn Criminal Trials Scotl. (1833) III. 608 Either horse, noat, vebs or any vther thing to be sold.c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 15558 Crist..fand i þe temmple þær Well fele menn þatt saldenn. Þær inne baþe nowwt. & shep.
a1400 Psalter (Vesp.) cxliii. 16 in C. Horstmann Yorkshire Writers (1896) II. 270 Þair schepe brodefulle, mightsomande In þaroutgange; þar noute [v.r. Nete; L. boves] fat in lande.
1433 in H. Nicolas Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1835) IV. 170 (MED) Þe subgittes of Scotland..toke away with hem lx horses and vjc naute.
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) 3823 Camels and mules, And out of nounbre of nowte.
c1480 (a1400) St. Ninian 1121 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 336 Of nowt, schepe, hors and ky.
1533 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1905) VI. 139 To deliver certane nowit and hors agane.
1565 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories N. Counties Eng. (1835) I. 237 To Isabell Lysle my nece foure kye and foure yownge nowlt.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 7 Grene bankes,..quhilkes are verie conuenient to feid horse or nout.
1633 Dumbarton Burgh Rec. (1860) 43 And uthir faires of hors, cattell, scheip, nout and siklyk.
1692 ‘J. Curate’ Sc. Presbyterian Eloquence iii. 105 I [would] rather steal all the horned nout in the Parish.
1721 A. Ramsay Ode to Mr. F in Wks. (1944) I. 222 The Nags and Nowt hate wissen'd Strae, And frisking to the Fields they gae.
1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd i. i. 3 Nine braw Nowt were smoor'd.
a1796 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) I. 219 Wee Davock hauds the nowt in fother.
1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 109 Tossin' our heads..Like Hannibal's fire-puttin' nowt.
a1856 G. Outram Bonnie Mary in Legal & Other Lyrics (1916) 161 Oh! were she herdin' nowt In an auld rotten plaidie.
1883 W. C. Smith North Country Folk 180 The minister spoke Of the weather and crops, and the sheep and nowt.
1998 N. Harper Spik o the Place 102 That's a bonnie park o nowt ye hiv there, Mains.
2. In singular.
a. An ox; a bullock; a cow or heifer.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > cow > [noun]
cowa800
nowtc1450
mower1673
colly1707
Scot1787
horny1808
moo-cow1810
sookie1838
bossy1844
sook1850
cow-creature1873
moo1930
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) 4744 (MED) Vmquile he noys as a nowte, as a nox quen he lawes.
a1538 A. Abell Roit or Quheill of Tyme f. 31, in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue at Nowt Ane scheip or ane nowt.
1595 A. Duncan Appendix Etymologiae: Index in Latinae Grammaticae Mugio, to rowt like a nowt.
c1620 A. Hume Of Orthogr. Britan Tongue (1870) ii. ii. §6 A horse, an hundred horse; a noute, ten noute.
a1813 A. Wilson Callamphitre's Elegy in Poems & Lit. Prose (1876) i. 43 His banes were like a horse's strang..He wad ha'e roar'd like ony nowt, When he o' pirns grew scanty.
a1833 R. Anderson Ballads in Cumberland Dialect (1834) 94 They'll rank ye wi' the horned nowt Until the day ye dee!
1875 W. McIlwraith Guide Wigtownshire 137 Every day in the year a Galloway nowt was killed.
1883 J. Martine Reminisc. Royal Burgh Haddington 103 He blew through a ‘nout's’ horn.
1908 in A. W. Johnston & A. Johnston Old-lore Misc. I. viii. 327 Gannan at the Sheriff like a stoopid nowte.
1934 J. M. Caie Kindly North 32 Neeps tae ser' the byllie's nowt.
1996 M. Flaws & G. Lamb Orkney Dict. 44/2 Nout, an ox.
b. figurative. A stupid, coarse, or clumsy person; (also) a person who is obstinate or difficult.Not always clearly distinguishable from nowt n.2 1.
ΚΠ
1806 J. Black Falls of Clyde 195 You ugly nowt! Swithe! frae my sight, ye filthy ragged cowt!
1817 Carlop Green in R. Brown Comic Poems 118 His big brother nowt, That kicks his muckle brosy wife.
1898 S. R. Crockett Standard Bearer x A great, strong, kindly, hard-driving ‘nowt’ of a man.
1929 Scots Mag. Mar. 424 A hunner guineas for the heid o' that nowt Renwick.
1996 M. Flaws & G. Lamb Orkney Dict. 44/2 Nout,..a fool.
2011 Orcadian 23 June 17/6 Whit on earth did yi dae that fur? Yi gret nout!
Compounds
C1. † nowt doctor n. Obsolete rare† nowt fold n. Obsolete† nowt-hide n. Obsolete† nowt-horn n. Obsolete† nowt leather n. Obsolete† nowt man n. Obsolete† nowt market n. Obsolete† nowt rodding n. Obsolete rare
nowt beast n.
ΚΠ
1808 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. (at cited word) It is used in composition for an individual of the kind, as a nowt-beast.
1859 J. Watson Living Bards of Border 72 A palin' round aboot, To keep the kye an' nout beas' oot.
1899 J. Buchan Grey Weather 108 Your ain maister, William Smail, forewandered among water and nowt beast.
1923 Banffshire Jrnl. 19 June 8 The fowk a' roon' aboot ken as muckle's him aboot ahorse an' nowte beas'.
ΚΠ
1824 J. Mactaggart Sc. Gallovidian Encycl. at Caumshell It is reduced by nowt doctors to a fine powder, and blown through the hollows of quills into cattles' eyes.
ΚΠ
1587 J. Carmichael Gram. Lat. Etymologia 16 Bovile, a nowtfald.
a1614 J. Melville Autobiogr. & Diary (1842) 188 The materiall kirkes lyes lyk sheipe and nout faulds.
ΚΠ
c1440 Prose Life Alexander (Thornton) (1913) 77 (MED) He garte make a lyttill bate of redis, & couerde it wit nowtte hydis & gerte pykk it wele bathe wit-in & wit-owtten.
1581 in W. Mackay & H. C. Boyd Rec. Inverness (1911) I. 288 Gait skynnis, nowte hydis.
a1843 J. Stewart Sketches Sc. Char. (1857) 58 Nae brunt-taed tawse o' strong nowt-hide Need they for paumies.
ΚΠ
1769 Humble Beggar in D. Herd Anc. & Mod. Scots Songs 48 A meikle nowt-horn to rout on had he.
1882 J. Walker Descr. Jaunt to Auld Reekie 17 Nowthorn spoons are laid by.
ΚΠ
1568 in W. Mackay & H. C. Boyd Rec. Inverness (1911) I. 167 In making..schone maid of horse leddyr for nowte leddyr.
1813 E. Picken Misc. Poems I. 33 Ye war o as guid nowt leather, As e'er was ken'd to rax a tether.
ΚΠ
1851 Appollodora North Tales 16 The nowteman and the cowherd.
1883 Longman's Mag. Apr. 646 The cattle or ‘nowt’ man..receives about twelve or thirteen shillings per week.
ΚΠ
1657 in R. Holmes Pontefract Bk. Entries (1882) 54 Burroughe of Pontefract..Nautmarkett.
1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xx. 149 He had first visited the ‘nowt market’ at the top of the brae, and cheapened several stirks.
ΚΠ
1502 in J. Fullarton Rec. Burgh Prestwick (1834) 37 The nowte roddyng.
C2. † nowt-gowan n. Scottish Obsolete rare (a) the ox-eye daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare (cf. horse-gowan n. at horse n. Compounds 2c); (b) (in full yellow night-gowan), the corn marigold, Chrysanthemum segetum.
nowt-foot n. calves' foot; cow heel as a dish.
ΚΠ
1706 Blythsome Wedding vii, in J. Watson Choice Coll. Scots Poems (1977) I Callour nout-feet in a plate.
1804 G. Galloway Battle of Luncarty 66 Mall brings barley-kail in, Wi' great nowt-feet and sing'd sheep-heads.
1894 R. O. Heslop Northumberland Words 506 A boiled nout-foot is a common accompaniment to the sheep's trotters and minch-meat of the tripe-wife's stall.
ΚΠ
1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm III. 943 The great white ox-eye, or nowt-gowan,..and the yellow nowt-gowan.
nowt head n. (also nowt's head) †(a) an ox-head, as food (obsolete); (b) a fool, a blockhead.
ΚΠ
a1706 J. Watson Choice Coll. Scots Poems i. 53 Where I fand naught but twa Sheep-breeds, Some Haggise-bags and twa Nowt-heads.
1818 S. E. Ferrier Marriage II. viii. 86 She had prepared with her own hands a moorfowl-pye and potted nowt's head.
1862 Luck of Ladysmede I. 194 Out upon thee, nowt-head! hast no more sense than to leave the poor brutes out in a wild night like this?
1974 D. Wilson Staffs. Dial. Words 48 Nowt head, an idiot.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
nowtpron.adj.adv.n.2
/naʊt/, U.S. /naʊt/, Scottish English /nʌʊt/, Irish English /naʊt/ English regional (chiefly northern and midlands), Scottish (southern), and Irish English (northern).† C. adv.
A. pron.
Nothing, not anything; = naught pron. 1.
ΚΠ
1741–3 J. Wesley Jrnl. (1749) 89 She cares not, if she never look in a book. She minds nout but play.
1827–30 T. Wilson Pitman's Pay (1843) 13 I want for nowt that she can gie me.
1873 A. Trollope Eustace Diamonds I. xxii. 300 Seddles don't come for nowt, my leddie, though it be in Ayrshire.
1880 W. H. Patterson Gloss. Words Antrim & Down at Nout I got it for nout.
1913 D. H. Lawrence Sons & Lovers xiii. 343 ‘What'll you have?’.. ‘Nowt wi' a bleeder like you!’
1949 K. Ferrier Let. 18 May (2004) iii. 79 My! but isn't it hard work! Only 50 dollars a concert but better than nowt.
1995 Daily Tel. 26 Oct. 4/1 You spend all day supping cos there's nowt else to do.
2006 New Musical Express 25 Mar. 17/1 I live on the Isle of Wight, and all the emos down here are nowt like the real proper emos of such places like Guildford!
B. adj.
Useless, worthless; = nought adj. 2. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > [adjective]
leera1250
unprofitablea1398
noughtc1400
inutile1484
unutilea1500
vain1578
useless1593
unuseful1604
serviceless1608
aidless1674
unproductive1713
good-for-nothing1727
nowt1790
invaluable1803
stupid1844
dud1904
puckerooed1919
1790 A. Wheeler Westmorland Dial. i. 16 Hees fearful nowt I racken.
1879 F. H. Burnett Haworth's xxx She's th'nowtest owd piece i' Christendom.
1889 in E. Peacock Gloss. Words Manley & Corringham, Lincs. (ed. 2) I. 373 I've hed this here crack'd baasin iver sin' I was a gell, an' it wer my gran'muther's afoore it were mine; that 'at's noht's niver e' daanger, thoo sees.
1890 Leeds Mercury Weekly Suppl. 20 Dec. in Eng. Dial. Dict. (1903) IV. 305/1 Ah'll tell tha what, he's nowt.
To no extent; = nought adv. 1. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > non-existence > [adverb] > not > not at all
noughteOE
nothingOE
nonewaysc1225
not a dealc1250
nothing soa1393
no-gatea1400
no-gatesa1400
no waya1400
nowaysa1400
riff no raff?a1400
in (also on, by) no kins way(s) (or wise)c1400
nowisec1425
no whitc1520
none1533
never a dysec1540
vengeance1556
in no sort1561
none ofc1571
nil1581
none1651
nowhat1651
nohow1775
du tout1824
nowt1828
nix1862
nary1895
1828 Sporting Mag. 21 232 ‘It matters nout’, as the Yorkshire men have it.
D. n.2
1. A person (occasionally a thing) of no worth or consequence; a worthless person; a ne'er-do-well; = nought n. 2.Not always clearly distinguishable from nowt n.1 2b.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant > worthless
chaffc1386
noughta1400
noughtinga1500
trifle?a1500
undought1508
wallydraigle?a1513
jackstraw1565
oatmeal-groat1594
trasha1616
Jack-of-strawa1625
little worth1823
wanworth1832
shicer1846
nowt1847
no good1871
two-spot1885
cannon fodder1917
crumb1918
no-gooder1936
nogoodnik1936
schmatte1967
1847 E. Brontë Wuthering Heights I. ii. 28 Bud yah're a nowt, and it's noa use talking—yah'll niver mend uh yer ill ways.
1889 E. Peacock Gloss. Words Manley & Corringham, Lincs. I. 373 Noht, a, something quite worthless. It's a noht, chuck it up o' th' fire.
1898 Cornhill Mag. Nov. 697 The whole gamut of Lancashire epithets was wasted on him. ‘A ornery beggar’, a ‘nowt’.
1911 F. H. Burnett Secret Garden xiv. 143 ‘I think he's a very spoiled boy,’ said Mary. ‘He's th'worst young nowt as ever was!’ said Martha.
1974 D. Wilson Staffs. Dial. Words 48 Nowt, a naughty boy. (Earlier ‘a worthless person; a good-for-nothing’.).
2. regional and colloquial. Not any quantity or number, zero; = nought n. 1c. †to be nowt o'clock: to be of no account (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > [noun] > zero
nothing?c1425
nought?c1425
zeroa1703
naught1864
nowt1865
1865 W. S. Banks List Provinc. Words Wakefield 50 He's nowt o'clock.
1928 I. Gershwin & D. Ferber That's a Good Girl in Compl. Lyrics (1993) 124/3 I'm five feet nowt—My eyes are brown; And one looks up and the other looks down.
1999 London Student 5 Feb. 31/4 King's coach Jim Netnon claimed they could win the league earlier in the year—well not by going down three nowt to team of the fortnight Imperial.
2001 Times 5 Mar. (Sport section) 9/6 ‘We'll win three-nowt,’ the Preston North End fan handing out pies on the train to the game predicted.
Phrases
P1. Originally English regional (northern). (there's) nowt so queer as folk and variants: as an expression of surprise, wonder, or disapproval at the variety of human behaviour.
ΚΠ
1863 E. C. Gaskell Sylvia's Lovers II. vii. 122 ‘I told him I'd help him all as I could—’ ‘Thou did, did thou? Well, well, there's nought sa queer as folks, that a will say,’ muttered Alice, between her teeth.]
a1903 in Eng. Dialect Dict. (1903) IV. 304/1 There's nowt sae queer as folk, Old Saying.
1907 M. Boileau & J. Eric (title) ‘Mr. Dan Cupid’, or There's nowt so queer as folk.
1935 H. Heslop Last Cage Down iii. ix. 352 ‘And he carried him, you say?’ she asked. He nodded. ‘It's more than I would have done,’ she cried. ‘There's nowt so funny as folk,’ said Paddy, repeating the old northern adage. Bridgit agreed.
1993 Afr. Affairs 92 626 In the end, the old Lancashire saw..may be as far as one can go in offering..a convincing diagnosis for what drove the explorers to do it: ‘There's nowt so queer as folk’.
Categories »
P2. owt for nowt: see owt for nowt at owt pron. Phrases.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1c1175
pron.adj.adv.n.21741