null

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French nul, from Latin nūllus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈnʌl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnʌl/, /ˈnʊl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌl, -ʊl

Noun

null (plural nulls)

1. A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
2. Zero quantity of expressions; nothing.
   • 1605, Francis Bacon, “The Second Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 61, recto:

     The kindes of Cyphars, (beſides the Simple Cyphars with Changes, and the intermixtures of Nvlles, and Nonsignificants) are many, according to the Nature or Rule of infoulding : Wheele-Cyphars, Kay-Cyphars, Dovbles, &c.

3. Something that has no force or meaning.
4. (computing) The null character; the ASCII or Unicode character (␀), represented by a zero value, which indicates no character and is sometimes used as a string terminator.
5. (computing) The attribute of an entity that has no valid value.

   Since no date of birth was entered for the patient, his age is null.

6. One of the beads in nulled work.
7. (statistics) The null hypothesis.

Adjective

null (comparative more null, superlative most null)

1. Having no validity; "null and void".
   • a. 1667, Rev. Jeremy Taylor, “Clerus Domini: or, A Discourse of the Divine Institution, Necessity, Sacredness, and Separation of the Office Ministerial”, in Ενιαυτος: A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays Of the year, 3rd edition, London: E. Tyler, page 19:

     And however Firmilian and S. Cyprian might be deceived in the thinking hereticks quite loſt their orders ; yet in this they were untouched, that although their ſuppoſition was queſtionable, yet their ſuperſtructure was not meddled with, viz. That if they had been Lay-perſons, their Baptizations were null and invalid.

2. Insignificant.
   • 1924, Marcel Proust, Within a Budding Grove:

     In proportion as we descend the social scale our snobbishness fastens on to mere nothings which are perhaps no more null than the distinctions observed by the aristocracy, but, being more obscure, more peculiar to the individual, take us more by surprise.

3. Absent or non-existent.
4. (mathematics) Of the null set.
5. (mathematics) Of or comprising a value of precisely zero.
6. (genetics, of a mutation) Causing a complete loss of gene function; amorphic.
7. (mechanical engineering, of a position or setting) Neutral.
   • 2001 March 27, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.16.3 Detail Examination and Tests of Standby Rudder Actuator Input Shaft and Bearing”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Uncontrolled Descent and Collision With Terrain, United Airlines Flight 585, Boeing 737-200, N999UA, 4 Miles South of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 3, 1991‎, archived from the original on 8 May 2022, pages 62–63:

     In normal operation, the input cranks to both the MPCU and standby rudder actuator will rotate to provide the servo valve command to the units, and the rudder will be hydraulically moved by the MPCU. The rudder movement is in turn fed back mechanically to both the MPCU and standby actuator systems so that when the rudder surface deflects to the position commanded by the pilot, the input cranks on both of the units will be returned to their null positions. Thus, there is a geometric relationship between the rudder position, the input crank of the MPCU, the torque tube, and the input crank of the standby rudder actuator that is retained during normal operation.

Verb

null (third-person singular simple present nulls, present participle nulling, simple past and past participle nulled)

1. (transitive, archaic) To nullify; to annul.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes”, in Paradise Regain’d, 5th edition, London: Jacob Tonson, published 1707, page 144:

     Thy fair enchanted cup, and warbling charms / No more on me have pow’r, their force is null’d, / So much of Adders wiſdom I have learnt / To fence my ear againſt thy Sorceries.

2. To return to the null position, setting, etc.
   • 2001 March 27, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.16.3 Detail Examination and Tests of Standby Rudder Actuator Input Shaft and Bearing”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Uncontrolled Descent and Collision With Terrain, United Airlines Flight 585, Boeing 737-200, N999UA, 4 Miles South of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 3, 1991‎, archived from the original on 8 May 2022, page 63:

     Three factors could ameliorate the effect of a bound input shaft and bearing. The first is the elasticity of the control system linkage that, against a definable load, will permit sufficient deformation of the otherwise rigid link feedback loop to null the MPCU servo valve. The second factor is the application of a load sufficient to break loose the binding between the input shaft and bearing. The third factor is a loss of torque of the bearing in the standby rudder actuator housing to permit the rotation of the bearing and shaft together within the housing to compensate for the bound shaft.

3. To form nulls, or into nulls, as in a lathe.
4. (computing, slang, transitive) To crack; to remove restrictions or limitations in (software).
   • 2020, Tejas Mayekar, Destroyed In Seconds: 10 Mistakes That Will Destroy Your Website, page 6:

     A nulled or a cracked plugin is basically a hacked version of a paid plugin that offers its premium functionalities for free.

Related terms

• annul
• nulled work

See also

• nil
• \0 (computing)
• Ø (linguistics)
• ∅ (mathematics)

Etymology

From Latin nūllus (“none”).

Numeral

null

1. (Luserna) zero

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Etymology

From German Null.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnulʲː/, [ˈnulʲː]
• Rhymes: -ulʲː
• Hyphenation: null

Numeral

null (genitive nulli, partitive nulli)

1. zero

Etymology

From Latin nullus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nʊlː/
• Rhymes: -ʊlː

Numeral

null

1. zero

Noun

null n (genitive singular nuls, plural null)

1. (mathematics) the numeric symbol that represents the cardinal number zero

Etymology

From the noun Null (“the number zero”), from Italian nulla, from Latin nulla, feminine singular of nullus (“no, none”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nʊl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Numeral

null

1. (cardinal number) zero; nil; nought; (tennis) love (integer number between −1 and 1, denoting no quantity at all)

   Null mal null ist null.

   Zero times zero is zero.

2. (colloquial) zero; no

   Synonym: (überhaupt) kein

   Ich hab echt null Bock, da mit dir jetzt drüber zu diskutieren.

   I frankly have zero interest in discussing this with you right now.

Adjective

null (strong nominative masculine singular nuller, not comparable)

1. (specialist, law, chiefly predicative) null (having no validity)

Further reading

• “null” in Duden online and “null” in Duden online; cp. “Null” in Duden online and “Null” in Duden online
• “null” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache; cp. “Null” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache