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Added 9 October 2026

zero

/ˈzɪəɹəʊ/ noun

In Latin: zerum, nihilum, zephirum Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about zero at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A quantity of no importance.
it looked like nothing I had ever seen before
A mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number.
The point on a scale from which positive or negative numerical quantities can be measured.

verb

Adjust (an instrument or device) to zero value.
Adjust (as by firing under test conditions) the zero of (a gun).
He zeroed in his rifle at 200 yards

adjective

Indicating the absence of any or all units under consideration.
a zero score
Having no measurable or otherwise determinable value.
the goal is zero population growth
Indicating an initial point or origin.

Origin

Collectively borrowed from Early Modern Spanish zero, Middle French zero, and (their etymon) Old Italian zero, from Medieval Latin zēphirum, from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “nothing; cipher”), itself calqued from Sanskrit शून्य (śūnyá, “void; nothingness”). Doublet of cipher and chiffre. Cognate with Spanish cero and French zéro.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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