owe
To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
Verb 3 meanings
To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
“We owe it to our children to make our nation a better place to live in the future.”
To have debt; to be in debt.
To have as a cause; used with to.
“The record owes its success to the outstanding guitar solos.”
Etymology
From Middle English owen, from Old English āgan, from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“to own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe (“to possess, own”), reduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ- (“to own”). See also own, ought. Cognate with Sanskrit ईष्टे (īṣṭe, “to own, possess”).
OWE at a glance
OWE has 3 letters and scores 6 points in Scrabble (O 1 + W 4 + E 1) and 6 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,723 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with owe
All rhymes- LOWE7
- HOWE10
- KNOWE12
- ALOWE8
- ARCHILOWE17
- CRACOWE14
- LEASOWE10
- THROWE12
- YOWE10
One letter away
- ONE3
- OWN6
- ORE3
- OWL6
- AWE6
- OLE3
- ODE4
- OBE5
- EWE6
- OPE5
- OYE6
- OKE7
- OSE3
- OWT6
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