nil
[nil]
- nothing; naught; zero.
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- having no value or existence: His credit rating is nil.
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Origin of nil
1805–15; < Latin nīl, variant (by apocope) of nīlum, contraction of nihilum nothing, equivalent to ni (variant of ne not) + hīlum trifle
nil admirari
[neel ahd-mee-rah-ree; English nil ad-mi-rair-ahy, -rair-ee]
- to wonder at nothing.
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nil desperandum
[neel des-pe-rahn-doo m; English nil des-puh-ran-duh m]
- never despair.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for nil
Contemporary Examples
They knew that as much as they tried to make up for it with brute force, their cultural power was nil.
USA had four points (three for a win over Ghana, one for the draw with Portugal, nil for Thursday's defeat).
Why It’s Still OK to Hate Sexy Bastard Cristiano Ronaldo After He Saved Team USAEmily Shire
June 26, 2014
The chances of even the most “conscious” rap creating a return to the Great Society were nil.
Sadly, the chances of the government taking any notice are pretty close to nil.
They may be nil, they may be enormous, or (more likely) they may fall somewhere in between.
Historical Examples
Nil admirari is the motto of the Man of Taste in Building, where he is naturally at home.
De Libris: Prose and VerseAustin Dobson
The practical effect of this was nil, for there was no longer anything to enforce.
A History of the United StatesCecil Chesterton
At Dover the dock-people had generously charged me “nil” for dues.
The Voyage Alone in the Yawl "Rob Roy"John MacGregor
In this little paper let us keep to the text of nil nisi bonum.
Roundabout PapersWilliam Makepeace Thackeray
Nil desperandum; keep up your courage, and all will go well.
The Young LlaneroW.H.G. Kingston
nil
- another word for nothing: used esp in the scoring of certain games
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Word Origin
C19: from Latin
nil desperandum
- never despair
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Word Origin
from Latin, literally: nothing to be despaired of
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for nil
n.
"nothing," 1833, from Latin nil, contraction of nihil, nihilum "nothing, not at all; in vain," from ne- "not" (see un-) + hilum "small thing, trifle," of unknown origin.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper