owe

Meaning

Verb

  • To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
  • To have debt; to be in debt.
  • To have as a cause; used with to.

Origin

  • From Middle English owen, from Old English āgan, from Proto-West Germanic *aigan ("own"), from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe, reduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ-. See also own, ought.

Modern English dictionary

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