nil

From Latin nīl, a contraction of nihil, nihilum (“nothing”). See nihilism.

• IPA^(key): /nɪl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪl

nil (usually uncountable, plural nils)

1. Nothing; zero.
   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.19:

     As to Aristotle's influence on him, we are left free to conjecture whatever seems to us most plausible. For my part, I should suppose it nil.

2. (sports) A score of zero

   The football match ended in a nil-nil draw.

nil

1. No, not any.
   • 1982, Gavin Lyall, Conduct of Major Maxim, Hodder & Stoughton Ltd:

     But after two or three hours and nil results, you have to accept that the trail is cold and you can't justify that level of manpower.

• nihilism

• eau de nil
• null
• nil desperandum

• Lin, lin., Lin., -lin, lin, NLI

• nl, nĺ

• IPA^(key): [nɨ̆ĺ], [nĺ], [˩˧nɨ̆l]

nil

1. liquid; water

   Na nil ne dugudige. ― I swallowed water.

• Gordon Bunn, Golin Grammar (1974)

• IPA^(key): /nil/

nil (indefinite)

1. nothing

Syncopic form of nihil, in turn from nihilum, from ne- (“not”) + hilum (“a hilum; a trifle, a bagatelle”), or unknown origin

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /niːl/, [niːɫ̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /nil/, [nil]

nīl n (indeclinable)

1. (chiefly poetic) nothing

   Bene scripsisti de me, Thoma. Quam ergo mercedem accipies? Nil nisi te.

   You have written well of me, Thomas. What reward therefore will you receive? Nothing other than you.

• “nil”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “nil”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

From English needle.

nil

1. needle
2. thorn
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 3:18:

     Ol rop i gat nil na ol gras nogut bai i kamap na karamapim gaden bilong yu.

     →New International Version translation