I say nothing (3)
I believe the answer is:
ego
'i' is the definition.
('I' in Latin)
'say nothing' is the wordplay.
'say' becomes 'eg' (both can mean for example).
'nothing' becomes 'O' (looks like zero - 0).
'eg'+'o'='EGO'
(Other definitions for ego that I've seen before include "Inflated pride" , "Part of the mind" , "Sense of self, conceit" , "See 21 Down" , "Selfishness" .)