ZERO HUNDRED Meaning and
Definition
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Zero hundred is a term primarily used in military and aviation contexts to denote the time of day, specifically midnight or 12:00 AM. It is a shortened expression derived from the more commonly used term "zero hundred hours" or "oh hundred hours." This representation is based on the 24-hour clock system, also referred to as military time or the 24-hour notation.
In this system, the day is divided into 24 hours, starting from midnight at 00:00 and ending at 23:59. Zero hundred is the exact moment when the day officially changes and the clock resets. It is extensively used to establish precise timings for military operations, flight schedules, and other time-sensitive activities where accurate coordination is critical.
The term "zero hundred" serves as a concise and unambiguous way to communicate a specific moment in time. Since it refers to the very beginning of a new day, it is often used to indicate the starting point for time-related calculations or as a reference for other events occurring later. It represents the earliest time designation on the clock, highlighting the importance of precise timekeeping in military and aviation operations.
Therefore, zero hundred is a military and aviation terminology used to represent midnight or 12:00 AM in the 24-hour clock system, marking the beginning of a new day.
Etymology of ZERO HUNDRED
The phrase "zero hundred" is a military time expression used to represent the time of day as 00:00 or midnight.
The word "zero" comes from the Latin word "zerus", which in turn originates from the Greek word "zḗtēsis", meaning "inquiry" or "search". It later evolved into the Italian word "zero" before entering the English language in the 17th century.
The term "hundred" refers to the hour mark in a military time system. It is thought to have originated from the old Norse word "hundrath", which means "120". In medieval Europe, hours were divided into parts of 60 minutes, and an hour was often referred to as a "hundred" due to this measurement system. Over time, "hundred" became associated with the hour mark of 100 minutes or 1 hour and 40 minutes.
