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Nill vs Zero - What's the difference?

nill | zero |

As verbs the difference between nill and zero

is that nill is to be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive) while zero is to set a measuring instrument to zero; to calibrate instrument scale to valid zero.

As nouns the difference between nill and zero

is that nill is shining sparks thrown off from melted brass while zero is the numeric symbol that represents the cardinal number zero.

As a numeral zero is

the cardinal number occurring before one and that denotes no quantity or amount at all, represented in Arabic numerals as 0.

As an adjective zero is

none.

nill

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) nillen, from (etyl) nillan, nellan, . Cognate with (etyl) nelle.

Verb

  • To be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive ).
  • *1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queen) , III.v:
  • *:I here auow thee neuer to forsake. / Ill weares he armes, that nill them vse for Ladies sake.
  • *1600 , (Edward Fairfax), The (Jerusalem Delivered) of (w), XII, lxi:
  • *:What I nill tell you ask (quoth she) in vain, / Nor mov'd by prayer, nor constrain'd by power.
  • To be unwilling.
  • *:
  • *:So the knight of Ireland armed him at all points,, and rode after a great pace, as much as his horse might go; and within a little space on a mountain he had a sight of Balin, and with a loud voice he cried, Abide, knight, for ye shall abide whether ye will or nill , and the shield that is to-fore you shall not help.
  • *:• :
  • *::Soo the knyght of Irelonde armed hym at al poyntes /and rode after a grete paas as moche as his hors myght goo / and within a lytel space on a montayne he had a syghte of Balyn / and with a lowde voys he cryed abyde knyght / for ye shal abyde whether ye will or nyll / and the sheld that is to fore you shalle not helpe
  • *1955 , , (The Lord of the Rings) (Appendices):
  • *:I must indeed abide the Doom of Men, whether I will or I nill .
  • To reject, refuse, negate.
  • *1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queen) , II.vii:
  • *:Certes (said he) I n’ill thine offred grace, / Ne to be made so happy do intend.
    • Derived terms
    * willy-nilly

    Etymology 2

    Compare Irish and Gaelic (neul) star, light. Compare (nebula).

    Noun

  • Shining sparks thrown off from melted brass.
  • Scales of hot iron from the forge.
    • (Knight)
    English auxiliary verbs

    zero

    English

    (wikipedia zero)

    Numeral

    (head)
  • (cardinal) The cardinal number occurring before one and that denotes no quantity or amount at all, represented in Arabic numerals as .
    • The conductor waited until the passenger count was zero .
    A cheque for zero''' dollars and '''zero''' cents crashed the computers on division by '''zero .

    Usage notes

    * In an adjectival sense, used with the plural of a countable noun: *: I have zero''' dollars and '''zero food.

    Synonyms

    * * o * cipher * (informal) goose egg * naught * nil * no * null

    Derived terms

    * division by zero * zero method * zeroth, zeroeth

    See also

    *

    Noun

  • The numeric symbol that represents the cardinal number zero.
  • The digit in the decimal, binary, and all other base numbering systems.
  • (informal, uncountable) Nothing, or none.
  • The value of a magnitude corresponding to the cardinal number zero.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= The rise of smart beta , passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}
  • The point on a scale at which numbering or measurement originates.
  • (mathematics) A value of the independent variables of a function, for which the function is equal to zero.
  • (senseid) (mathematics, algebra) The additive identity element of a monoid or greater algebraic structure, particularly a group or ring.
    • Since a commutative zero is the inverse of any additive identity, it must be unique when it exists.
    The zero''' (of a ring or field) has the property that the product of the '''zero''' with any element yields the '''zero .
    The quotient ring over a maximal ideal is a field with a single zero element.
  • (slang) A person of little or no importance.
    • They rudely treated him like a zero .
  • (military) A , a long range fighter aircraft operated by the Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945.
  • A setting of calibrated instruments such as a firearm.
  • (finance) A security which has a zero coupon (paying no periodic interest).
    • The takeovers were financed by issuing zeroes .

    Synonyms

    * (numeric symbol zero) cipher * (digit zero) slashed zero * (point of origin on a scale) origin, zero point * (lowest point) nadir * (negligible or irrelevant amount) naught, nil, nothing, nought, nowt, null, (informal)'' bugger all, ''(informal) fuck all, nada, sod all, sweet FA, sweet Fanny Adams, zilch, zip * (person of little importance) cipher, nobody, nonentity * root * (identity element of a monoid) additive identity

    Antonyms

    * (sense, value of a function's variables at zero) pole

    Holonyms

    * (sense, value of a function's variables at zero) kernel

    Derived terms

    * absolute zero * aleph-zero * decimal without a zero * go from zero to hero * ground zero * negative zero * non-zero * positive zero * size zero * sub-zero * zero air * zero-based budget * zero coupon bond * zero-day * zero deflection * zero-dimensional * zero-emission vehicle * zero-grade * zero hour * zero hundred * zero-knowledge * zero-knowledge proof * zero-length launching * zero one infinity rule * zero-point energy * zero-rated * zero-sum * zero-sum game * zero vector * zero gravity

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (informal, used with noun) none
    • She showed zero respect.
  • (meteorology) Of a cloud ceiling, limiting vision to 50 feet (15 meters) or less.
  • (meteorology) Of horizontal visibility, limited to 165 feet (50.3 meters) or less.
  • (linguistics) Present at an abstract level, but not realized in the data.
    • The stem of "kobieta" with the zero ending is "kobiet".

    Synonyms

    * no

    Derived terms

    * zero tolerance

    Verb

    (es)
  • To set a measuring instrument to zero; to calibrate instrument scale to valid zero.
    • Zero the fluorometer with the same solvent used in extraction.
  • (computing) To change a memory location or range to values of zero; to set a variable in a computer program to zero.
    • Results were inconsistent because an array wasn’t zeroed during initialization.
  • To cause or set some value or amount to be zero.
    • They tried to zero the budget by the end of the quarter.
  • To eliminate; to delete; to overwrite with zeros.
  • * 2001 , Mark Pesce, "True Magic", in True Names by Vernor Vinge and the Opening of the Cyberspace Frontier , James Frenkel (editor)
    • They discovered the object code for the simulator that was DON, and zeroed it. DON — or his creator — was clever and had planted many copies,
  • * 2004 , Anna Maxted, Being Committed , page 358
    • If I zeroed Jack, I'd get by So I'd erased him, pretended the last few months had never happened.
  • To disappear
  • * 1997 , Tom Clancy, Executive Orders , page 340
    • Traffic on the encrypted channels used by senior Iraqi generals had peaked and zeroed', then peaked again, and ' zeroed again.

    Synonyms

    * (to set to zero) tare * (to cause to be zero) zero out

    Derived terms

    * zero in * zero in on * zero out