n 零(number or figure 0)：Five plus～equals five.五加零等于五。Four subtracted from four leaves～.四减四得零。The figure 500 has two～s in it.数字500有两个零。〖同〗nothing，nothingness;〖反〗something，everything;

pron (1)零度(temperature indicated by the numeral 0 on a thermometer)：The temperature is 10 degrees below/above～.温度是零下/零上10度。The thermometer says 10 degrees below/above～.温度计标示零下/零上10度。 absolute～绝对零度(约为摄氏零下373.16度);

(2)零;特定点(naught;one less than one)：Five，four，three，two，one，～...(We have lift-off!)五、四、三、二、一，注意(我们的飞船/导弹升空了!);All our efforts added up to～.我们所有的努力加起来等于零。

(3)全无;最低点(nothing;lowest point)：～growth in the economy/the population/the industrial output 经济/人口/工业产量的零增长;(population/agriculture) approach～growth(人口/农业)接近零增长;(prospects of success in the talks) be put/be at～(谈判成功的期望)定位在最低点/毫无可能;(economic growth) be put/be at～(经济发展的期望)定位在最低点/毫无可能;(sb/sb's spirits) slow down/fall to～(某人/某人情绪)减到最低速度/极为低沉;Our chances of making a profit are～.我们获利的可能是零。a～plural 无词尾变化的复数形式;～-rated 零税率的;

(4)无足轻重(no value)(infml)(尤AmE)：a social～没有社会地位的无名小卒;(politics) have～interest for sb(政治)对某人来说毫无兴趣;

zero hour 1)子夜，零时; 2)发动进攻的时间; 3)决定性时刻;Z～hour for the bombers to take off was midnight.轰炸机起飞时间在午夜。As the～hour came near，the doctor was already prepared for the operation on the man/the players grew nervous.在决定性时刻临近之际，医生准备好为那位男士实施手术/运动员们紧张起来。

vi

zero in on (v+adv+prep) 1)把(枪、炮、火力)对准目标(concentrate or aim firepower on a specified target)： The plane～ed in on the arms factory.飞机将火力对准军工厂。The artillery～ed in on the vulnerable enemy targets.大炮将火力对准敌人薄弱的目标。When they had all～ed in their guns on the enemy post they opened fire.将所有炮火都对准敌人的阵地之后，他们就开火了。2)向……集中注意力，接近(move near to or focus attention as if on a target;close) (fig)：Reporters～ed in on Miss Smith.记者们把注意力都集中在史密斯小姐身上。～in on the key issues for discussion 集中注意要讨论的关键问题;

【用法】在表达数字时，zero一般用于科技范围的内容;在日常口语中，美国人可能用zero，而英国人则多用naught，oh或nil。如：“Wolverhampton nil”(BrE) 伍尔弗汉普顿(足球得分)零分;“Detroit zero”(AmE)底特律(棒球得分)剃光头。