nilpotent

Meanings

Adjective

• Such that, for some positive integer n, xⁿ = 0.

Noun

• A nilpotent element.

Origin

• From nil + potent with literal meaning “having zero power” - bearing Latin roots nil and potens.
• Coined in 1870, along with idempotent, by American mathematician Benjamin Peirce to describe elements of associative algebras.