1 NUM Zero is the number 0. □ Visibility at the city's airport came down to zero, bringing air traffic to a standstill. □ …a scale ranging from zero to seven.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Zero is a temperature of 0°. It is freezing point on the Centigrade and Celsius scales, and 32° below freezing point on the Fahrenheit scale. □ It's a sunny late winter day, just a few degrees above zero. □ That night the mercury fell to thirty degrees below zero.
3 ADJ You can use zero to say that there is none at all of the thing mentioned. □ This new ministry was being created with zero assets and zero liabilities.
▸ zero in on
1 PHRASAL VERB To zero in on a target means to aim at it or move towards it. □ [V P P n] He raised the binoculars again and zeroed in on an eleventh-floor room.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you zero in on a problem or subject, you give it your full attention. □ [V P P n] Many of the other major daily newspapers have not really zeroed in on the problem. SYNONYMS zero NOUN 1
nought: Sales rose by nought point four per cent last month.
nothing: Homes in this corner of Mantua that once went for $350,000 are now worth nothing.
niclass="underline" They beat Argentina one-nil in the final.
ze ro-emi ssion ADJ [ADJ n] A zero-emission vehicle does not produce any dangerous gases. □ …zero-emission electric cars.
ze ro-ho urs con|tract also ze ro-ho ur con|tract (zero-hours contracts ) N‑COUNT A zero-hours contract is a contract where the employer does not have to provide regular work for the employee, but the employee has to be on call in case they are needed to work. [BUSINESS ]
ze ro-su m game N‑SING If you refer to a situation as a zero-sum game , you mean that if one person gains an advantage from it, someone else involved must suffer an equivalent disadvantage. □ They're playing a zero-sum game, where both must compete for the same resources.
ze ro to l|er|ance N‑UNCOUNT If a government or organization has a policy of zero tolerance of a particular type of behaviour or activity, they will not tolerate it at all. □ [+ for ] They have a policy of zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
zest /ze st/ (zests )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Zest is a feeling of pleasure and enthusiasm. □ [+ for ] He has a zest for life and a quick intellect.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Zest is a quality in an activity or situation which you find exciting. □ Live interviews add zest and a touch of the unexpected to any piece of research.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [n N ] The zest of a lemon, orange, or lime is the outer skin when it is used to give flavour to something such as a cake or a drink. □ [+ of ] Mix the rest of the olive oil with the zest and juice of the lemon.
zig|zag /z I gzæg/ (zigzags , zigzagging , zigzagged ) also zig-zag
1 N‑COUNT A zigzag is a line which has a series of angles in it like a continuous series of 'W's. □ They staggered in a zigzag across the tarmac. □ …a zigzag pattern.
2 VERB If you zigzag , you move forward by going at an angle first to one side then to the other. □ [V prep] I zigzagged down a labyrinth of alleys. □ Expertly he zigzagged his way across the field. [Also V ]
zilch /z I ltʃ/ PRON Zilch means nothing. [INFORMAL ] □ At the moment these shares are worth zilch.
zil|lion /z I ljən/ (zillions ) NUM If you talk about a zillion people or things, you are emphasizing that there is an extremely large number of them. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ It's been a zillion years since I've seen her.
Zim|mer frame /z I mə r fre I m/ (Zimmer frames ) N‑COUNT A Zimmer frame or a Zimmer is a frame that old or ill people sometimes use to help them walk. [BRIT , TRADEMARK ] in AM, use walker
zinc /z I ŋk/ N‑UNCOUNT Zinc is a bluish-white metal which is used to make other metals such as brass, or to cover other metals such as iron to stop a brown substance called rust from forming.
zine /ziː n/ (zines ) N‑COUNT A zine is a magazine about a particular subject, written by people who are interested in that subject rather than by professional journalists.
zing /z I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] If you refer to the zing in someone or something, you mean the quality that makes them lively or interesting. [INFORMAL ] □ He just lacked that extra zing. □ There's nothing like fresh basil to put a zing into a tomato sauce.
zing|er /z I ŋə r / (zingers ) N‑COUNT A zinger is a witty remark, or something that is lively, interesting, amusing, or impressive. [AM , INFORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The panelists are left to compress their inquiries into one good zinger of a question. □ I thought it looked like a zinger.
Zi|on|ism /za I ən I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Zionism is a movement which was originally concerned with establishing a political and religious state in Palestine for Jewish people, and is now concerned with the development of Israel.
Zi|on|ist /za I ən I st/ (Zionists )
1 N‑COUNT A Zionist is someone who believes in Zionism. □ He was an ardent Zionist.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Zionist means relating to Zionism. □ …the Zionist movement.
zip /z I p/ (zips , zipping , zipped )
1 N‑COUNT A zip or zip fastener is a device used to open and close parts of clothes and bags. It consists of two rows of metal or plastic teeth which separate or fasten together as you pull a small tag along them. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] He pulled the zip of his leather jacket down slightly. in AM, usually use zipper 2 VERB When you zip something, you fasten it using a zip. □ [V n] She zipped her jeans. □ [V n] I slowly zipped and locked the heavy black nylon bags.