null
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /nʌl/
ipa: /nʌl/
ipa: /nʊl/
ipa: /nɐl/
ipa: /nal/
rhymes: -ʌl
rhymes: -ʊl
Forms: form: more null
form: most null
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French nul, from Latin nūllus.
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 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:
glosses: Having no validity; "null and void".
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1924, Marcel Proust, Within a Budding Grove:
glosses: Insignificant.
examples: text: The most recent attempt to contact Pioneer 10 was on 6-7 February 2003. But in this case, the Madrid station got conclusively null results after an assiduous search.
ref: 2003 February 20, James A. Van Allen, “Termination of Pioneer 10's Mission”, in Pioneer 10 & 11 GTT Charged Particles, The University of Iowa:
glosses: Absent or non-existent.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Of the null set.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Of or comprising a value of precisely zero.
topics: biology
genetics
medicine
natural-sciences
sciences
glosses: Causing a complete loss of gene function; amorphic.
raw_tags: of a mutation
examples: text: 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.
ref: 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 08 May 2022, pages 62–63:
topics: engineering
mechanical
mechanical-engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: Neutral.
raw_tags: of a position or setting
Derived terms: /dev/null
alef null
aleph-null
conull
dev null
nonnull
non-null persistent
nullability
nullable
null anaphora
null and void
nullary
null byte injection
null character
nullcline
null determiner
null device
nullectomy
nullform
nullge
null-grav
null-homotopic
null hypothesis
nullification
null infinity
nulliparous
nullish
nullity
nulliverse
null matrix
null modem
null morpheme
nullness
null node
nullo
null object
null path length
null persistent
null pointer
null prefix
null recurrence
null recurrent
null result
null set
null sign
nullspace
null-subject language
null suffix
null-terminated
phosphonull
pseudonull
Rh-null