owe
SayOH/oʊ/UK/əʊ/
- 1To have to give something back to someone, or to do something for them because you should.
Like borrowing a friend's toy and needing to give it back later.
I owe my brother five dollars from lunch.
You owe her an apology for showing up so late.
Note
- 2To have money that you must pay back to someone.
Like borrowing from a friend and still having to pay them back.
We still owe on the house and two credit cards.
After college, she owed for years before getting clear of it.
- 3To have something because of a person or thing that caused it.
Like saying your skill came from years of practice.
We owe our win to hard practice.
She owes her good health to a careful diet.
Note
Practice
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Origin
From Old English āgan, meaning "to own." It is related to the words "own" and "ought."