zero

American  

[zeer-oh] / ˈzɪər oʊ /

noun

• zeros,
  plural
• zeroes
  plural

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.

   1. the identity element of a group in which the operation is addition.

   2. (of a function, especially 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.

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verb (used with object)

• zeroes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• zeroed,
  past participle,  past
• zeroing
  present participle

1. to adjust (an instrument or apparatus) to a zero point or to an arbitrary reading from which all other readings are to be measured.

2. to reduce to zero.

3. Slang. to kill (a congressional bill, appropriation, etc.).

   The proposed tax increase has been zeroed for the time being.

adjective

1. amounting to zero.

   a zero score.

2. having no measurable quantity or magnitude; not any.

   zero economic growth.

3. 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.

4. Meteorology.

   1. (of an atmospheric ceiling) pertaining to or limiting vertical visibility to 50 feet (15.2 meters) or less.

   2. of, relating to, or limiting horizontal visibility to 165 feet (50.3 meters) or less.

5. Finance. zero-coupon.

6. 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 phrase

1. zero in to aim (a rifle, etc.) at the precise center or range of a target.

2. zero in on

   1. to aim directly at (a target).

   2. to direct one's attention to; focus on; concentrate on.

   3. to converge on; close in on.

zero British  

/ ˈzɪərəʊ /

noun

1. Former name: cipher.  the symbol 0, indicating an absence of quantity or magnitude; nought

2. the integer denoted by the symbol 0; nought

3. the cardinal number between +1 and –1

4. nothing; nil

5. a person or thing of no significance; nonentity

6. the lowest point or degree

   his prospects were put at zero

7. the line or point on a scale of measurement from which the graduations commence

8. 1. the temperature, pressure, etc, that registers a reading of zero on a scale

   2. the value of a variable, such as temperature, obtained under specified conditions

9. a gunsight setting in which accurate allowance has been made for both windage and elevation for a specified range

10. maths

    1. the cardinal number of a set with no members

    2. the identity element of addition

11. linguistics

    1. an allomorph with no phonetic realization, as the plural marker of English sheep

    2. ( as modifier )

       a zero form

12. Also called: zero-coupon bond.  finance a bond that pays no interest, the equivalent being paid in its redemption value Compare Zebra

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adjective

1. having no measurable quantity, magnitude, etc

2. meteorol

   1. (of a cloud ceiling) limiting visibility to 15 metres (50 feet) or less

   2. (of horizontal visibility) limited to 50 metres (165 feet) or less

verb

1. (tr) to adjust (an instrument, apparatus, etc) so as to read zero or a position taken as zero

determiner

1. informal no (thing) at all

   this job has zero interest

zero Scientific  

/ zîr′ō /

1. The numerical symbol 0, representing a number that when added to another number leaves the original number unchanged.

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Closer Look

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.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• zeroes
  plural
• zeros
  plural

Participles

• zeroing
  present
• zeroed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• zero
  simple
• zeroes
  simple
• have zeroed
  perfect
• has zeroed
  perfect
• am zeroing
  progressive
• are zeroing
  progressive
• is zeroing
  progressive
• have been zeroing
  perfect progressive
• has been zeroing
  perfect progressive

Past

• zeroed
  simple
• had zeroed
  perfect
• was zeroing
  progressive
• were zeroing
  progressive
• had been zeroing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will zero
  simple
• will have zeroed
  perfect
• will be zeroing
  progressive
• will have been zeroing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of zero

1595–1605; < Italian < Medieval Latin zephirum < Arabic ṣifr cipher

Explanation

Zero means nothing. When you add zero to the number one, you get the number one. And if some gets a zero on a test, it means they've missed every question. You might know zero as 0, zilch, zip, nothing, or nada. While it is a number of no value, without it we wouldn't be able to count beyond 9. On a number line, all numbers below zero are negative. And the temperature at which water freezes is zero degrees Celsius. Occasionally you'll hear someone describe a person as a zero — which is a not-very-nice way to say that the person has nothing going for them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zero zeroes zeros zeroed zeroing

The drones are fully electric and produce zero emissions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

For 45 minutes against Forest on Saturday, those struggles continued with just six touches, one accurate pass and zero shots.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Last year, exactly zero hurricanes hit the U.S. mainland, which is kind of a bizarre blessing, although we’ve had dead-quiet hurricane seasons before.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

"They go digital to make more profit. And there is zero indication that the customer will benefit from this."

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

That’s way more than I have, seeing as I currently have zero dollars.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Users go to AI bots for everything from recipes to life and relationship advice, even forming one-sided platonic or romantic relationships with the ones and zeroes that make up this digital ether behind a screen.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

Thomas Broughton’s vivid text zeroes in on the last days of the hero Hercules, who returns victorious from war with a string of captives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Coco Gauff dropped a set for the second match in a row before clawing her way into a third consecutive Australian Open quarter-final on Sunday as she zeroes in on a maiden Melbourne title.

From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026

Conventional computers operate using bits -- streams of electrical or optical pulses that represent ones or zeroes.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 23, 2025

The woman has taken out a little pad and is making invisible zeroes trying to get her reluctant pen to write.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

If you’re not, you’ve got to use money, which is hard to get, whereas you get shares by typing zeros into a spreadsheet.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

In conventional computing, information is represented by zeros and ones.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

And these worlds aren’t even real, just ones and zeros merged to form a network of communication that sometimes feels like incoherent gibberish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026

Classical computers process information as ones or zeros in bits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

All the letters that represent zeros are in italics, so if someone knows what I’ve done, they could decode this.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

From Washington, D.C., to Rhode Island to Oregon, federal judges nominated by presidents from both parties, including Donald Trump, have zeroed in on what’s called “the presumption of regularity.”

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

Narayan highlighted Ford’s improved margins, but also zeroed in on Ford’s EV losses.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Yet speculation has zeroed in on the potential noise of the coaster as being a problem for residents of the nearby of Toluca Lake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

In their quest to secure new business customers, Anthropic and OpenAI have zeroed in on startups participating in Y Combinator, the Silicon Valley institution that launched Airbnb and Stripe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

I squinted into the dark and zeroed in on the glowing digits of my alarm clock.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

These strange laws of existence provide the framework for Ullom’s excellent social observations, zeroing in on each character’s relationship to this new world and comparing it to the old one.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

But public health officials finally appear to be zeroing in on what’s causing it.

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

“This could create serious consequences, including a potential zeroing out of the state’s support for critical emission reduction programs,” said Phillip Fine, executive officer at the Bay Area Air District.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026

That’s why we’re zeroing in on a handful of stocks.

From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026

I was afraid we’d run into Mrs. Singer, but then I thought she just had this certain thing for zeroing in on me, so Joey was like a protective charm against her.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Related Words

• nil