General
nil
What does nil mean?
The word used for a score of zero in football, as in 'two-nil'.
"It finished three-nil to the home side."
Origin
From Latin 'nihil' (nothing); standard in British football scorelines.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'nil' mean in football?
It means zero. A scoreline of 'two-nil' means one team has scored two goals and the other none.
Why do the British say 'nil' instead of 'zero'?
It comes from the Latin 'nihil', meaning nothing, and became the standard term for zero in British football scores.
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