Origin and history of zero

zero(n.)

0, the arithmetical figure which stands for nought in the Arabic notation, also "the absence of all quantity considered as quantity," c. 1600, from French zéro or directly from Italian zero, from Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic sifr "cipher," a translation of Sanskrit sunya-m "empty place, desert, naught" (see cipher (n.)).

As "initial point of progress or reckoning" in general by 1849, from the point or line on a graduated scale from which reckoning begins (1795). By 1820 as "lowest point or degree" (as in absolute zero). Figuratively, the bottom of any scale.

Abstractly, "nothing, nought," by 1823. The meaning "worthless person or thing, someone who amounts to nothing" is recorded from 1813.

As an adjective from 1810. Zero tolerance is attested by 1972 in U.S. political language. Zero-sum in game theory, indicating that if one player wins X amount the other or others must lose X amount, is from 1944 (von Neumann).

A brief history of the invention of "zero" can be found here.

also from c. 1600

zero(v.)

"aim" (at a target), "set sights" on a target, by 1913, from zero (n.) as "point on a scale where reckoning begins" (by 1795). Hence in rifle-shooting, a method of adjustment using targets at known distances. Related: Zeroed; zeroing. The phrase zero in is by 1944.

also from 1913

Entries linking to zero

absolute zero(n.)

"lowest possible temperature which the nature of heat admits" (determined to be –273 centigrade, –458 Fahrenheit), the idea dates back to 1702 and soon thereafter its general value was guessed to within a few degrees, but it was not precisely discovered until Lord Kelvin's work in 1848. It was known by many names, such as infinite cold, absolute cold, natural zero of temperature; the term absolute zero was among them by 1806.

cipher(n.)

late 14c., "arithmetical symbol for zero," from Old French cifre "nought, zero," Medieval Latin cifra, which, with Spanish and Italian cifra, ultimately is from Arabic sifr "zero," literally "empty, nothing," from safara "to be empty;" a loan-translation of Sanskrit sunya-s "empty." Klein says Modern French chiffre is from Italian cifra.

The word came to Europe with Arabic numerals. From "zero," it came to mean "any numeral" (early 15c.), then (first in French and Italian) "secret way of writing; coded message" (a sense first attested in English 1520s), because early codes often substituted numbers for letters. Meaning "the key to a cipher or secret writing" is by 1885, short for cipher key (by 1835).

Figurative sense of "something or someone of no value, consequence, or power" is from 1570s.