Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun Slang.
- zero; nothing: The search came up with zilch.
noun slang
- nothing
- US and Canadian sport nil
“nothing,” 1966, from earlier sense of “meaningless speech” (1960), originally Mr. Zilch (1931), comic character in the magazine “Ballyhoo.” Perhaps from U.S. college slang (early 1900s) Joe Zilsch “an insignificant person.” Probably a nonsense syllable, but Zilch is an actual German surname of Slavic origin.