[zeer-oh] 
noun, plural -ros, -roes, verb, -roed, -ro⋅ing, adjective | 1. | 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.
|
| 9. | (initial capital letter ) a single-engine Japanese fighter plane used in World War II. |
| 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. |
| 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.
|
| 17. | Finance. zero-coupon. |
| 18. | 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. |
| 19. | zero in, to aim (a rifle, etc.) at the precise center or range of a target. |
| 20. | zero in on,
|
| ze·ro (zîr'ō, zē'rō) n. pl. ze·ros or ze·roes
To adjust (an instrument or a device) to zero value. Phrasal Verb(s): zero in
[Italian, from alteration of Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic ṣifr, nothing, cipher; see cipher.] |
zero ze·ro (zēr'ō, zē'rō)
n. pl. ze·ros or ze·roes
The numerical symbol 0, indicating the absence of quantity or mass.
The temperature indicated by the numeral 0 on a thermometer.
| zero (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 language
An object oriented extension of Z.
["Object Orientation in Z", S. Stepney et al eds, Springer 1992].
[The Jargon File]
(1995-03-30)
zero
1.
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-33 Teletype (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)