owe
verbUK /əʊ/ · US /oʊ/
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”).
1
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.
- I owe Kevin five bucks which he lent to me last week.
4 more examples
- This time I'll cover for you, but now you owe me a favour.
- VVe owe God a death, and we can but die:1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], →OCLC, Act I:
- […] To you, Antonio, I owe the most, in money and in love; And from your love I have a warranty To unburden all my plots and purposes How to get clear of all the debts I owe.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
- He inherited a fair fortune from his uncle, but owed it all before he came into it, and spent it twice over immediately afterwards.1854, Charles Dickens, chapter 7, in Hard Times. For These Times, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC:
2
To have debt; to be in debt.
3
To have as a cause; used with to.
- The record owes its success to the outstanding guitar solos.