zero

[Cacasenno]

Following the hint by our Good Doctor with foofaraw, hereafter a few more English (International) words originated from the Arab

Zero



SYLLABICATION: ze·ro
PRONUNCIATION: zîr, zr
NOUN: Inflected forms: 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. A zero-coupon bond. 8. Informal Nothing; nil: Today I accomplished zero.
ADJECTIVE: 1. Of, relating to, or being zero. 2a. Having no measurable or otherwise determinable value. b. Informal Absent, inoperative, or irrelevant in specified circumstances: “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.
TRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: ze·roed, ze·ro·ing, ze·roes
To adjust (an instrument or a device) to zero value.
PHRASAL VERBS: zero in 1a. 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 out 1. To eliminate (a budget or budget item) by cutting off funding. 2. To reduce to zero.
ETYMOLOGY: Italian, from alteration of Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic ifr, nothing, cipher. See cipher.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

[Slava]

While I easily understand the idea of "zero in," what might "zero out" mean?

Sad that Nothing, Zip, Diddly, Squat, has been done with this word.

Anyone care to add to the topic? I'm afraid we can't multiply it at all, but add on, that we can.

[Audiendus]

While I easily understand the idea of "zero in," what might "zero out" mean?

Apparently it means to cancel, eliminate, or reduce to zero.

I'm afraid we can't multiply it at all, but add on, that we can.

Actually we can multiply it, if we don't mind ending up with zero. But what we absolutely can't do is divide by it - our calculations will go haywire if we try.

There is also an adjective zeroth:
The zeroth power of any number is 1.
The Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics (more fundamental than the First Law).
Bruckner wrote a Zeroth Symphony (Symphony No 0).