From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Owe \Owe\ ([=o]), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Owed} ([=o]d), ({Ought} ([add]t) obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. {Owing} ([=o]"[i^]ng).] [OE. owen, awen, aghen, to have, own, have (to do), hence, owe, AS. [=a]gan to have; akin to G. eigen, adjective, own, Icel. eiga to have, Dan. eie, Sw. ["a]ga, Goth. ['a]igan, Skr. [imac][,c]. [root]110. Cf. {Ought}, v., 2d {Own}, {Fraught}.]
1. To possess; to have, as the rightful owner; to own. [Obs.]
Thou dost here usurp The name thou ow'st not. --Shak.
2. To have or possess, as something derived or bestowed; to be obliged to ascribe (something to some source); to be indebted or obliged for; as, he owed his wealth to his father; he owed his victory to his lieutenants. --Milton.
O deem thy fall not owed to man's decree. --Pope.
3. Hence: To have or be under an obigation to restore, pay, or render (something) in return or compensation for something received; to be indebted in the sum of; as, the subject owes allegiance; the fortunate owe assistance to the unfortunate.
The one ought five hundred pence, and the other fifty. --Bible (1551).
A son owes help and honor to his father. --Holyday.
Note: Owe was sometimes followed by an objective clause introduced by the infinitive. ''Ye owen to incline and bow your heart.'' --Chaucer.
4. To have an obligation to (some one) on account of something done or received; to be indebted to; as, to owe the grocer for supplies, or a laborer for services.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
verb
2: be indebted to, in an abstract or intellectual sense; "This new theory owes much to Einstein's Relativity Theory"
3: be in debt; "She owes me $200"; "The thesis owes much to his adviser"
From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:
OWE, v. To have (and to hold) a debt. The word formerly signified not indebtedness, but possession; it meant "own," and in the minds of debtors there is still a good deal of confusion between assets and liabilities.
Define.com is a registered nonprofit corporation dedicated solely to the global public interest and the advancement of humanity. It belongs to all of us who have a desire to promote electronic democracy, science, creativity, imagination, reason, critical thinking, peace, race and gender equality, civil rights, equal access to education, personal liberty, free speech, animal rights, compassionate and nonviolent parenting, social and economic justice, global monetary reform, Secular Humanism, cognitive liberty and a permanent cessation of The War on Drugs.
Let's see what we can do if we put our heads together.
0