the figure or symbol 0, which in the Arabic notation for numbers stands for the absence of quantity; cipher.
2.
the origin of any kind of measurement; line or point from which all divisions of a scale, as a thermometer, are measured in either a positive or a negative direction.
3.
a mathematical value intermediate between positive and negative values.
4.
naught; nothing.
5.
the lowest point or degree.
6.
Linguistics. the absence of a linguistic element, as a phoneme or morpheme, in a position in which one previously existed or might by analogy be expected to exist, often represented by the symbol 0̷: Inflectional endings were reduced to zero. The alternant of the plural morpheme in “sheep” is zero.
7.
Ordnance. a sight setting for both elevation and windage on any particular range causing a projectile to strike the center of the target on a normal day, under favorable light conditions, with no wind blowing.
8.
Mathematics.
a.
the identity element of a group in which the operation is addition.
b.
(of a function, esp. of a function of a complex variable) a point at which a given function, usually a function of a complex variable, has the value zero; a root.
9.
(initial capital letter) a single-engine Japanese fighter plane used in World War II.
–verb (used with object)
10.
to adjust (an instrument or apparatus) to a zero point or to an arbitrary reading from which all other readings are to be measured.
11.
to reduce to zero.
12.
Slang. to kill (a congressional bill, appropriation, etc.): The proposed tax increase has been zeroed for the time being.
–adjective
13.
amounting to zero: a zero score.
14.
having no measurable quantity or magnitude; not any: zero economic growth.
15.
Linguistics. noting a hypothetical morphological element that is posited as existing by analogy with a regular pattern of inflection or derivation in a language, but is not represented by any sequence of phonological elements: the zero allomorph of “-ed” in “cut”; “Deer” has a zero plural.
16.
Meteorology.
a.
(of an atmospheric ceiling) pertaining to or limiting vertical visibility to 50 ft. (15.2 m) or less.
b.
of, pertaining to, or limiting horizontal visibility to 165 ft. (50.3 m) or less.
being or pertaining to the precise time, as a specific hour or second, when something must or does happen, as the explosion of a nuclear weapon: in an underground shelter at zero second.
—Verb phrases
19.
zero in, to aim (a rifle, etc.) at the precise center or range of a target.
20.
zero in on,
a.
to aim directly at (a target).
b.
to direct one's attention to; focus on; concentrate on.
c.
to converge on; close in on.
[Origin: 1595–1605; < It < ML zephirum < Ar ṣifrcipher]
A cardinal number indicating the absence of any or all units under consideration.
An ordinal number indicating an initial point or origin.
An argument at which the value of a function vanishes.
The temperature indicated by the numeral 0 on a thermometer.
A sight setting that enables a firearm to shoot on target.
Informal One having no influence or importance; a nonentity: a manager who was a total zero.
The lowest point: His prospects were approaching zero.
A zero-coupon bond.
Informal Nothing; nil: Today I accomplished zero.
adj.
Of, relating to, or being zero.
Having no measurable or otherwise determinable value.
Informal Absent, inoperative, or irrelevant in specified circumstances: "The town has . . . practically no opportunities for amusement, zero culture"(Robert M. Adams).
Designating a ceiling not more than 16 meters (52 feet) high.
Limited in horizontal visibility to no more than 55 meters (180 feet).
Meteorology
Designating a ceiling not more than 16 meters (52 feet) high.
Limited in horizontal visibility to no more than 55 meters (180 feet).
Linguistics Of or relating to a morpheme that is expected by an established, regular paradigm but has no spoken or written form. Moose has a zero plural; that is, its plural is moose.
tr.v.
ze·roed, ze·ro·ing, ze·roes
To adjust (an instrument or a device) to zero value.
Phrasal Verb(s): zero in
To aim or concentrate firepower on an exact target location.
To adjust the aim or sight of by repeated firings.
To converge intently; close in: The children zeroed in on the display of toys in the store window.
zero out
To eliminate (a budget or budget item) by cutting off funding.
To reduce to zero.
[Italian, from alteration of Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic ṣifr, nothing, cipher; see cipher.]
1604, from It. zero, from M.L. zephirum, from Arabic sifr "cipher," translation of Skt. sunya-m "empty place, desert, naught" (see cipher). A brief history of the invention of "zero" can be found here. Meaning "worthless person" is recorded from 1813. The verb zero in is 1944, from the noun, on the notion of instrument adjustments. Zero tolerance first recorded 1972, originally U.S. political language.
indicating the absence of any or all units under consideration; "a zero score"
2.
having no measurable or otherwise determinable value; "the goal is zero population growth"
3.
indicating an initial point or origin
4.
of or relating to the null set (a set with no members)
noun
1.
a quantity of no importance; "it looked like nothing I had ever seen before"; "reduced to nil all the work we had done"; "we racked up a pathetic goose egg"; "it was all for naught"; "I didn't hear zilch about it"
2.
a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number
3.
the point on a scale from which positive or negative numerical quantities can be measured
4.
the sight setting that will cause a projectile to hit the center of the target with no wind blowing
verb
1.
adjust (an instrument or device) to zero value
2.
adjust (as by firing under test conditions) the zero of (a gun); "He zeroed in his rifle at 200 yards"
nought; the number or figure 0 Example: Three plus zero equals three; The figure 100 has two zeros in it.
Arabic:
صِفْر
Chinese (Simplified):
零
Chinese (Traditional):
零
Czech:
nula
Danish:
nul
Dutch:
nul
Estonian:
null
Finnish:
nolla
French:
zéro
German:
die Null
Greek:
μηδέν, μηδενικό
Hungarian:
nulla, zéró
Icelandic:
núll
Indonesian:
nol
Italian:
zero
Japanese:
ゼロ
Latvian:
nulle
Lithuanian:
nulis
Norwegian:
null
Polish:
zero
Portuguese (Brazil):
zero
Portuguese (Portugal):
zero
Romanian:
zero
Russian:
ноль
Slovak:
nula
Slovenian:
ničla
Spanish:
cero
Swedish:
noll, nolla
Turkish:
sıfır, '0' sayısı
zero2[ˈziərəu]noun
the point on a scale (eg on a thermometer) which is taken as the standard on which measurements may be based Example: The temperature was 5 degrees above/below zero.
Arabic:
دَرَجَة صِفْر
Chinese (Simplified):
零点
Chinese (Traditional):
零點
Czech:
nula
Danish:
nulpunkt
Dutch:
nul
Estonian:
null
Finnish:
nolla
French:
zéro
German:
der Nullpunkt
Greek:
μηδέν
Hungarian:
zéró, zérus
Icelandic:
núll
Indonesian:
nol
Italian:
zero
Japanese:
零点
Latvian:
nulle
Lithuanian:
nulis
Norwegian:
nullpunkt
Polish:
zero
Portuguese (Brazil):
zero
Portuguese (Portugal):
zero
Romanian:
zero
Russian:
нулевая точка
Slovak:
nula
Slovenian:
ničla
Spanish:
cero
Swedish:
noll, nollpunkt
Turkish:
donma noktası
zero3[ˈziərəu]noun
the exact time fixed for something to happen, eg an explosion, the launching of a spacecraft etc Example: It is now 3 minutes to zero.
Arabic:
ساعَة الصِّفْر، لَحْظَة الإنْطِلاق او حُدوث الشَّيء
zeroAudio Help (zîr'ō) Pronunciation Key
The numerical symbol 0, representing a number that when added to another number leaves the original number unchanged.
Our Living Language: Although the origin of zero is controversial, some historians believe that it was invented by the Babylonians in about 500 BCE. In the sixth century, it was discovered by the Hindus and Chinese, and 700 years later, it reached the Western world via the Arabs. Zero is the only integer (whole number) that is neither positive nor negative. In a sense, zero makes negative numbers possible, as a negative number added to its positive counterpart always equals zero. When zero is added to or subtracted from a number, it leaves the number at its original value. Zero is essential as a position holder in the system known as positional notation. In the number 203, for example, there are two hundreds, zero tens, and three ones. Zero indicates that the value of the tens place is zero. In the number 1024, zero indicates that the value of the hundreds place is zero. Scientists use the term absolute zero (0° Kelvin) to refer to the (unattainable) theoretically lowest possible temperature, at which the kinetic energy of molecules is zero.
zero 1. 0, ASCI character 48. Numeric zero, as opposed to the letter "O" (the 15th letter of the English alphabet). In their unmodified forms they look a lot alike, and various kluges invented to make them visually distinct have compounded the confusion. If your zero is centre-dotted and letter-O is not, or if letter-O looks almost rectangular but zero looks more like an American football stood on end (or the reverse), you're probably looking at a modern character display (though the dotted zero seems to have originated as an option on IBM 3270 controllers). If your zero is slashed but letter-O is not, you're probably looking at an old-style ASCII graphic set descended from the default typewheel on the venerable ASR-33Teletype (Scandinavians, for whom slashed-O is a letter, curse this arrangement). If letter-O has a slash across it and the zero does not, your display is tuned for a very old convention used at IBM and a few other early mainframe makers (Scandinavians curse *this* arrangement even more, because it means two of their letters collide). Some Burroughs/Unisys equipment displays a zero with a *reversed* slash. And yet another convention common on early line printers left zero unornamented but added a tail or hook to the letter-O so that it resembled an inverted Q or cursive capital letter-O. [The Jargon File] (1995-01-24) 2. To set to zero. Usually said of small pieces of data, such as bits or words (especially in the construction "zero out"). 3. To erase; to discard all data from. Said of disks and directories, where "zeroing" need not involve actually writing zeroes throughout the area being zeroed. One may speak of something being "logically zeroed" rather than being "physically zeroed". See scribble. (1999-02-07)
Ci"pher\, n. [OF. cifre zero, F. Chiffre figure (cf. Sp. cifra, LL. cifra), fr. Ar. [,c]ifrun, [,c]afrun, empty, cipher, zero, fr. [,c]afira to be empty. Cf. Zero.]1. (Arith.) A character [0] which, standing by itself, expresses nothing, but when placed at the right hand of a whole number, increases its value tenfold. 2. One who, or that which, has no weight or influence. Here he was a mere cipher. --W. Irving. 3. A character in general, as a figure or letter. [Obs.] This wisdom began to be written in ciphers and characters and letters bearing the forms of creatures. --Sir W. Raleigh. 4. A combination or interweaving of letters, as the initials of a name; a device; a monogram; as, a painter's cipher, an engraver's cipher, etc. The cut represents the initials N. W. 5. A private alphabet, system of characters, or other mode of writing, contrived for the safe transmission of secrets; also, a writing in such characters. His father . . . engaged him when he was very young to write all his letters to England in cipher. --Bp. Burnet. Cipher key, a key to assist in reading writings in cipher.
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Audio Help [zeer-oh] Pronunciation Key noun, plural -ros, -roes, verb, -roed, -ro·ing, adjective 
