ze·ro
(zîr′ō, zē′rō)n. pl. ze·ros or
ze·roes 1. The numerical symbol 0; a cipher.
2. Mathematics a. The identity element for addition.
b. A cardinal number indicating the absence of any or all units under consideration.
c. An ordinal number indicating an initial point or origin.
d. An argument at which the value of a function vanishes.
3. The temperature indicated by the numeral 0 on a thermometer.
4. A sight setting that enables a firearm to shoot on target.
5. Informal One having no influence or importance; a nonentity: a manager who was a total zero.
6. The lowest point: His prospects were approaching zero.
7. Informal Nothing; nil: Today I accomplished zero.
adj.1. Of, relating to, or being zero.
2. a. Having no measurable or otherwise determinable value.
b. Informal Not any; no: "The town has ... practically no opportunities for amusement, zero culture" (Robert M. Adams).
3. Meteorology a. Designating a ceiling not more than 16 meters (52 feet) high.
b. Limited in horizontal visibility to no more than 55 meters (180 feet).
4. 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 Verbs: zero in1. a. To aim or concentrate firepower on an exact target location.
b. To adjust the aim or sight of by repeated firings.
2. To converge intently; close in: The children zeroed in on the display of toys in the store window.
zero out1. To reduce to zero.
2. To eliminate (a budget or budget item) by cutting off funding.
[Italian, from alteration of Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic ṣifr, nothing, cipher; see cipher.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
zero
(ˈzɪərəʊ) n,
pl -ros or -roes1. (Mathematics) the symbol 0, indicating an absence of quantity or magnitude; nought. Former name: cipher
2. (Mathematics) the integer denoted by the symbol 0; nought
3. (Mathematics) 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. (General Physics)
a. the temperature, pressure, etc, that registers a reading of zero on a scale
b. the value of a variable, such as temperature, obtained under specified conditions
9. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a gunsight setting in which accurate allowance has been made for both windage and elevation for a specified range
10. (Mathematics)
maths a. the cardinal number of a set with no members
b. the identity element of addition
11. (Linguistics)
linguistics a. an allomorph with no phonetic realization, as the plural marker of English sheep
b. (as modifier): a zero form.
12. (Banking & Finance)
finance Also called:
zero-coupon bond a bond that pays no interest, the equivalent being paid in its redemption value. Compare
Zebra adj13. having no measurable quantity, magnitude, etc
14. (Physical Geography)
meteorol a. (of a cloud ceiling) limiting visibility to 15 metres (50 feet) or less
b. (of horizontal visibility) limited to 50 metres (165 feet) or less
vb,
-roes,
-roing or -roed (General Physics) (tr) to adjust (an instrument, apparatus, etc) so as to read zero or a position taken as zero
determinerinformal chiefly US no (thing) at all: this job has zero interest.
[C17: from Italian, from Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic sifr empty, cipher]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ze•ro
(ˈzɪər oʊ)
n., pl. -ros, -roes, n. 1. the figure or symbol 0, which in the Arabic notation for numbers stands for the absence of quantity; cipher.
2. an origin from which values are calibrated, as on a temperature scale.
3. a mathematical value intermediate between positive and negative values.
4. naught; nothing.
5. the lowest point or degree.
6. the absence of a linguistic element, as a morpheme, in a position in which one previously existed or might by analogy be expected to exist.
7. a sight setting on a firearm or artillery piece for striking the center of a target at any particular range.
8. Math. a. the identity element of a group in which the operation is addition.
b. an argument at which the value of a function vanishes.
v.t. 9. to adjust (an instrument or apparatus) to a zero point or to an arbitrary reading from which other readings are to be measured.
10. zero in, to aim (a rifle, etc.) at the precise center or range of a target.
11. zero in on, a. to aim directly at (a target).
b. to direct one's attention to; focus on.
c. to converge on; close in on.
d. zero out.
e. to reduce to zero.
f. to eliminate (a program, department, or the like) by cutting its funding.
adj. 12. amounting to zero.
13. having no measurable quantity or magnitude; not any: zero economic growth.
14. of or designating a hypothetical morphological element that is posited as existing by analogy with some regular pattern in a language but has no physical realization: Deer has a zero plural.
15. Meteorol. 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.
[1595–1605; < Italian < Medieval Latin
zephirum < Arabic
ṣifr cipher]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ze·ro
(zîr′ō) The numerical symbol 0, representing a number that when added to another number leaves the original number unchanged.
Did You Know? Zero is not nothing! It is a number that stands for nothing, and this is an important distinction. In many ways, zero is the most important of all numbers. When zero is added to or subtracted from a number, it leaves the number at its original value. Zero thus makes negative numbers possible. A negative number added to its positive counterpart always equals zero. Zero is also essential to representing many numbers, such as 203 and 1024. In these numbers zero serves as a placeholder in the system known as positional notation. Thus in 203, there are two hundreds, zero tens, and three ones. In other words, zero indicates that the value of the tens place is zero. In 1024, zero indicates that the value of the hundreds place is zero. When you think about it, if we didn't have zero, we wouldn't have hundreds, thousands, or millions in our number system.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.