word-vault
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A lightweight JavaScript package for English word definitions and collections.
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{
"term": "owe",
"partOfSpeech": "verb",
"ox3000": true,
"cefr": "b2",
"verbForms": {
"presentSimple": {
"iYouWeThey": "owe",
"heSheIt": "owes"
},
"pastSimple": "owed",
"pastParticiple": "owed",
"ingForm": "owing"
},
"definitions": [
{
"senseNumber": 1,
"definition": "to have to pay somebody for something that you have already received or return money that you have borrowed",
"sensetop": "owe somebody somethingowe somethingowe something to somebodyowe something to somebody for somethingowe somebody something for something",
"labels": "(figurative)",
"cefr": "b2",
"ox3000": true,
"examples": [
{
"text": "She still owes her father £3 000.",
"contextForm": "owe somebody something"
},
{
"text": "I'm still owed three days' leave."
},
{
"text": "He **owes** more **money** than he can afford to pay.",
"contextForm": "owe something"
},
{
"text": "Exactly how much do we owe?"
},
{
"text": "She still owes £3 000 to her father.",
"contextForm": "owe something to somebody"
},
{
"text": "The country owes billions of dollars to foreign creditors."
},
{
"text": "Most hospitals owe money to pharmaceutical companies for medicines and equipment.",
"contextForm": "owe something to somebody for something"
},
{
"text": "How much do I owe you for the groceries?",
"contextForm": "owe somebody something for something"
}
],
"topics": ["Money"]
},
{
"senseNumber": 2,
"definition": "to feel that you ought to do something for somebody or give them something, especially because they have done something for you",
"sensetop": "owe something to somebodyowe somebody something",
"cefr": "b2",
"ox3000": true,
"examples": [
{
"text": "I **owe a debt of gratitude** to all my family.",
"contextForm": "owe something to somebody"
},
{
"text": "You **owe it to** your staff to be honest with them."
},
{
"text": "I **owe a duty** to my family."
},
{
"text": "You owe me a favour!",
"contextForm": "owe somebody something"
},
{
"text": "Thanks for sticking up for me—I **owe you one** *(= I owe you a favour)*."
},
{
"text": "I think you **owe** us **an explanation**."
},
{
"text": "I think we're **owed an apology**."
}
]
},
{
"senseNumber": 3,
"definition": "to exist or be successful because of the help or influence of somebody/something",
"sensetop": "owe something to somebody/somethingowe somebody something",
"examples": [
{
"text": "He owes his success to hard work.",
"contextForm": "owe something to somebody/something"
},
{
"text": "The play owes much to French tragedy."
},
{
"text": "I owe everything to him."
},
{
"text": "The town **owes its existence** to the minerals that lie below the mountains."
},
{
"text": "I owe him everything.",
"contextForm": "owe somebody something"
},
{
"text": "I knew that I owed the surgeon my life."
}
]
},
{
"senseNumber": 4,
"definition": "to have to obey and support somebody who is in a position of authority or power",
"sensetop": "owe allegiance/loyalty/obedience (to somebody)",
"labels": "(formal)",
"examples": [
{
"text": "All serfs owed allegiance to a lord."
}
]
}
],
"pronunciations": {
"uk": [
{
"pronunciation": "/əʊ/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owe__gb_2.mp3"
},
{
"pronunciation": "/əʊz/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owes__gb_1.mp3"
},
{
"pronunciation": "/əʊd/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owed__gb_1.mp3"
},
{
"pronunciation": "/ˈəʊɪŋ/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owing__gb_1.mp3"
}
],
"us": [
{
"pronunciation": "/əʊ/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owe__us_1.mp3"
},
{
"pronunciation": "/əʊz/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owes__us_1.mp3"
},
{
"pronunciation": "/əʊd/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owed__us_1.mp3"
},
{
"pronunciation": "/ˈəʊɪŋ/",
"audio": "ow/owe/owing__us_1.mp3"
}
]
},
"wordOrigin": "Old English āgan ‘own, have it as an obligation’, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit īs ‘possess, own’."
}