dead zone

American  

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.

3. a period or place where there is little activity or excitement.

   A dead zone for home sales is November and December.

---

dead zone British  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of dead zone

First recorded in 1875–80, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

She can predict someone’s destiny by squeezing their hand, the party trick Christopher Walken did in “The Dead Zone.”

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s such a weird dead zone,” he says, gesturing to the space next to his kitchen.

From Los Angeles Times

"This buffer - I call it a 'dead zone', some call it a 'grey zone' - it already exists."

From BBC

When the algae decays, it consumes oxygen, making the lake hypoxic — a dead zone without oxygen to support marine life.

From Los Angeles Times

Upon stumbling on King’s “The Dead Zone” on TV, he had an epiphany: his novel needed a character like King’s Greg Stillson, a dangerously populist politician.

From Los Angeles Times