What Does the Term “Zeroed In” Mean and Where Did the Phrase Come From?

Before the modem era, rifle gunsights were aligned to hit a target at a known distance.

Therefore, with the guesswork removed, any adjustment from a set position would be zero.

The same principle applies to artillery batteries, which adjust their fire to a fixed point or “ground zero,” a term still used with satellite- and laser-guided bombs and missiles.

Like the single-minded person, they’re zeroed in.