owe — to have a debt to someone; to be required to give something back
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to have a debt to someone; to be required to give something back
Pronunciation (IPA): /oʊ/
Example Sentences
- My cat thinks I owe her three meals a day, but she's already quite chubby!
- I owe my mom a call, but I'm afraid she'll ask about my grades again.
- You don't owe anyone an explanation for being yourself.
owe
VERB[/oʊ/]
to have a debt to someone; to be required to give something back
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'owe' derives from Old English 'āgan', meaning 'to own' or 'to possess'. Through semantic evolution, the sense of possession developed into the notion of being obligated or indebted to another, reflecting the idea that one 'owns' a debt to someone else.
Breakdown
āgan (Old English: to own, possess) → owe (to be indebted). The root 'āgan' originally denoted possession or ownership, which underwent semantic shift to express obligation and indebtedness.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat thinks I owe her three meals a day, but she's already quite chubby!”
“I owe my mom a call, but I'm afraid she'll ask about my grades again.”
“You don't owe anyone an explanation for being yourself.”
“I owe my terrible cooking skills to never paying attention in home economics class.”
📚Related Words
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