Crossword Genius

Nothing taken, head off (5)

Ross

I think it could be either:

ought

aught

'nothing' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'taken head off' is the wordplay.
'taken' becomes 'bought' ('buy' can be a synonym of 'take').
'head off' means to remove the first letter.
'bought' with its first letter removed is 'OUGHT'.

(Other definitions for ought that I've seen before include "Has a duty (to do something)" , "outdated anything at all?" , "Strange thing" , "Be bound" , "Should, had, better" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.