What does “ground zero” mean?
Often defined as “the surface directly above or below the point at which a nuclear explosion takes place,” the term “ground zero” is also used for the site of the collapse of the World Trade Center’s twin towers. Dictionary: ground zero n. 1. The target of a projectile, such as a missile or bomb. 2. The site directly below, directly above, or at the point of detonation of a nuclear weapon. 3. The center of rapid or intense development or change: “The neighborhood scarcely existed five years ago, but today it is the ground zero from which designer shops and restaurants radiate” (Robert Clark). 4. The starting point or most basic level: My client didn’t like my preliminary designs, so I returned to ground zero. Business Dictionary: Ground Zero Actual point of impact; point where the full impact of an action will be experienced. In the military it applies to the point of the blast of a bomb. The center of Hiroshima was ground zero for the atomic bomb in 1945. US Military Dictionary: groun
