dead zone

noun

1. Ecology. an area in a body of water, especially an ocean, having oxygen levels that are not adequate to support life:

   shellfish threatened by an annual dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

2. dead spot ( def 1 ).
3. a period or place where there is little activity or excitement:

   A dead zone for home sales is November and December.

dead zone

noun

1. an area of water that cannot support marine life, being virtually devoid of oxygen due to the presence of nitrates that stimulate algae growth
2. an area where a mobile phone does not receive a signal
3. any area where something does not exist or prosper

   a dead zone for cinemas

Word History and Origins

Origin of dead zone¹

First recorded in 1875–80, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

See the full explanation of how and why to avoid the dead zone.

From Washington Post

That situation has led some, such as Pat Kerrane of NBC Sports, to argue that the dead zone starts with the very first pick.

From Washington Post

Drafting running backs in the dead zone — commonly thought of as the stretch between rounds 3 and 6 — is the quickest path to putting your fantasy hopes in grave danger.

From Washington Post

Microorganisms consume them, it’s sort of an orgy of breakfast, and they metabolize so quickly they suck all the oxygen out of the air and you get these huge dead zones in coastal areas around the world.

From Freakonomics

If you obsessively check product reviews, as we do, then you might also want to see if people report dead zones or dropouts when using their headphones.

From Popular-Science

It was not a real dead zone, because I could still penetrate some of the region.

From Project Gutenberg

I encountered no sign of any trip or trap all the way to the fringe of the dead zone.

From Project Gutenberg