Origin and history of naught

late 14c., nowghty, noughti "needy, having nothing," also "evil, immoral, corrupt, unclean," from nought, naught "evil, an evil act; nothingness; a trifle; insignificant person; the number zero" (from Old English nawiht "nothing;" see naught)) + -y (2).

Specific meaning "sexually promiscuous" is from 1869. The mitigated sense of "disobedient, bad in conduct or speech, improper, mischievous" (especially of the delinquencies of children) is attested from 1630s. Related: Naughtily; naughtiness. In 16c.-18c. a woman of bad character might be called a naughty pack (also sometimes used of men and later of children).

Middle English, from Old English nowiht "nothing," variant of nawiht (see naught). The meaning "zero, cipher" is from early 15c. The expression for nought "in vain" is attested from c. 1200. To come to nought is from early 15c. (become to naught, ycome to naught are from c. 1300).

naught, nought. The variation of spelling is not a modern accident, but descends from Old English. The distinction, however, now usually observed between the senses borne by each form is a matter of convenience only, & by no means universally recognized. This distinction is that nought is simply the name of the cipher 0, while the archaic, poetic, & rhetorical uses in which the word is substituted for nothing in any other than the arithmetical sense now prefer naught. [Fowler, "Modern English Usage," 1926]