nil

Everyday

1. Nil means nothing or zero. tree →
2. (UK, sport) Nil is used for zero in match scores: "two–nil". tree →

In the lessons

In UK, Irish, Australian and NZ sport talk: "We won three–nil." In formal language: "The risk is nil." In maths it means 0. Phrases: two–nil, nil–nil, nil by mouth (no food or drink in hospital).

Examples

• We won the match three–nil. tree →
• The game ended nil–nil. tree →
• The chance of snow in summer here is nil. tree →
• The patient is nil by mouth before the operation. tree →
• Our savings were nil after buying the bike. tree →
• His interest in maths was nil until he met Mr Lee. tree →

Note

Means 0. In the US people usually say "zero" or "nothing" for scores ("three to nothing"). In maths: adding nil changes nothing; multiplying by nil gives nil. Do not confuse with the river Nile.

In Jewish tradition

In these texts "nil" means zero, and in one place it is the printed form of the numeral signs "||||".

Interpretation. The author discusses the cipher zero as the fifth symbol of the numeral system in Sefer Yetzirah. He reads it as the sign of the ten sefirot, whose number is counted from nothing.

Examples

• They called it Mishnali, and it )ns hinided down to liioin by I'nil tradition from Alualiaiii." (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →
• The numeral system of tlie Sefer Tetzirah, as I have ex- plained, may be considered to consist of live symbols, |, ||, III, nil, 0, the cipher being the fifth symbol. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Means 0. In the US people usually say "zero" or "nothing" for scores ("three to nothing"). In maths: adding nil changes nothing; multiplying by nil gives nil. Do not confuse with the river Nile.