'zero-protein' originates from modern English as a compound of the numeral 'zero' and the noun 'protein'. 'Zero' ultimately comes from Italian 'zero', from Arabic 'sifr' meaning 'empty' or 'nothing'; 'protein' was coined via French 'protéine' from Greek 'proteios' meaning 'primary'.

'zero' entered English from Italian 'zero' (from Arabic 'sifr'); 'protein' was coined in the 19th century from French 'protéine' (from Greek 'proteios'); the compound 'zero-protein' developed in modern English usage to describe substances with no protein content.

Individually, 'zero' originally meant 'empty' or 'nothing' and 'protein' referred to a primary biological substance; combined as 'zero-protein' the meaning shifted to the specific descriptive sense 'containing no protein'.