Definition

Noun: 1. The point of detonation (or above or below) of a nuclear weapon: The exact location on the earth's surface, or in the air above or ground below, where a nuclear explosion occurs. 2. The site of the World Trade Center before it was destroyed: This meaning specifically refers to the location in Lower Manhattan, New York City, where the Twin Towers stood prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It is now commonly used to denote the site of the attacks and the subsequent cleanup and rebuilding. 3. The target of a projectile (as a bomb or missile): The precise point of impact or intended impact for an explosive weapon.

Examples

• The blast at ground zero created a crater a mile wide.
• In the days following 9/11, rescue workers tirelessly searched the rubble at Ground Zero.
• The missile was programmed to strike its ground zero with pinpoint accuracy.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: The term is often used metaphorically to describe the starting point, the most basic level, or the epicenter of a significant event or change.
  • After the scandal, the company had to start again from ground zero.
  • The small cafe was ground zero for the city's artistic revival.

Variants and Related Words

• Epicenter (noun): The central point of something, especially a difficult or unpleasant situation. (Often used similarly in figurative contexts).
• Point of impact (noun phrase): The exact place where a moving object hits something.

Synonyms

• Blast center
• Target site
• Epicenter (for figurative use)
• Square one (for the figurative meaning of a starting point)

Related Idioms

• Back to square one: Returning to the beginning after a failure or lack of progress. This idiom is a close synonym for the figurative use of "ground zero."
  • The experiment failed, so we're back to square one.

Noun

1. the point of detonation (or above or below) of a nuclear weapon
2. the site of the World Trade Center before it was destroyed
3. the target of a projectile (as a bomb or missile)