owe

verb

Etymology: From Middle English owen, from Old English āgan, from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“to own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe (“to possess, own”), reduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ- (“to own”). See also own, ought. Cognate with Sanskrit ईष्टे (īṣṭe, “to own, possess”).

1. To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.

   “We owe it to our children to make our nation a better place to live in the future.”

   “I owe Kevin five bucks which he lent to me last week.”

2. To have debt; to be in debt.
3. To have as a cause; used with to.

   “The record owes its success to the outstanding guitar solos.”