ozone hole

Save This Word!

noun

any part of the ozone layer that has become depleted by atmospheric pollution, resulting in excess ultraviolet radiation passing through the atmosphere.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of ozone hole

First recorded in 1985–90

Words nearby ozone hole

ozocerite, ozon-, ozonation, ozone, ozone-friendly, ozone hole, ozone layer, ozone sickness, ozonic ether, ozonide, ozoniferous

How to use ozone hole in a sentence

For example, an ex-manager of DuPont accused the scientists working on CFCs in the ozone hole of not being objective because they had political motives.
Why Misinformation Is About Who You Trust, Not What You Think - Issue 100: Outsiders|Brian Gallagher & Kevin Berger|May 26, 2021|Nautilus
His monotonous music is, really, like the audio soundtrack to a k-hole.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’|Marlow Stern|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I rolled him over to see where it came out, and there was no big hole in the back.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Well over a thousand holes in, I average less than four strokes per hole.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Instead of going for the hole, I hit the ball directly into the water.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There is only sand, a white ball, and a flag indicating the hole.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Before he could finish the sentence the Hole-keeper said snappishly, "Well, drop out again—quick!"
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Kind of a reception-room in there—guess I know a reception-room from a hole in the wall.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Squinty, several times, looked at the hole under the pen, by which he had once gotten out.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
Madame and myself had just been regretting that we should have to pass the evening in this miserable hole of a town.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
And if he was worried about Farmer Green's cat, why didn't he dig a hole for himself at once, and get out of harm's way?
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

Scientific definitions for ozone hole

ozone hole

A severe depletion of ozone in a region of the ozone layer, particularly over Antarctica and over the Arctic. The depletion is caused by the destruction of ozone by CFCs and by other compounds, such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4). The amount of ozone in ozone holes is about 55 to 60 percent of the normal concentration in the ozone layer. Although the full effect of increased ozone depletion is not yet known, the amount of ultraviolet radiation the Earth receives is greatly increased by ozone depletion, creating a heightened risk of skin cancers and likely contributing to global warming. See Note at ozone.

Cultural definitions for ozone hole

ozone hole

A depletion of ozone that occurs over Antarctica in the winter. The ozone returns to normal levels in the summer, and the amount of depletion varies from year to year. The hole is thought to be caused by a combination of the peculiarities of atmospheric circulation (see atmosphere) near the South Pole and chemical reactions involving chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere and ice crystals in clouds.