zone

[ zohn ]

/ zoʊn /

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See synonyms for: zone / zoned / zoning on Thesaurus.com

noun

any continuous area that differs in some respect, or is distinguished for some purpose, from adjoining areas, or within which certain distinctive circumstances exist or are established: The decisions were formulated in a zone of uncertainty. The temperature lies outside the danger zone.

Geography. any of five great divisions of the earth's surface, bounded by lines parallel to the equator and named according to the prevailing temperature.Compare North Frigid Zone, North Temperate Zone, South Frigid Zone, South Temperate Zone, Torrid Zone.

Biogeography. an area characterized by a particular set of organisms, whose presence is determined by environmental conditions, as an altitudinal belt on a mountain.

Geology. a horizon.

Geometry. a part of the surface of a sphere included between two parallel planes.

a specific district, area, etc., within which a uniform charge is made for transportation, mail delivery, or other service.

the total number of available railroad terminals within a given circumference around a given shipping center.

an area or district in a city or town under special restrictions as to the type, size, purpose, etc., of existing or proposed buildings.

time zone.

Also called postal delivery zone. (in the U.S. postal system) any of the numbered districts into which a city or metropolitan area was formerly divided for expediting the sorting and delivery of mail.

Sports. a particular portion of a playing area: The wing was trapped with the puck in his own defensive zone.

the zone, Informal. a state of intense concentration and focus that greatly improves a person's performance in a physical or mental activity, especially in sports: He has a great golf swing, but he needs to be in the zone.

Archaic. a girdle or belt; cincture.

verb (used with object), zoned, zon·ing.

to mark with zones or bands.

to divide into zones, tracts, areas, etc., as according to existing characteristics or as distinguished for some purpose.

to divide (a city, town, neighborhood, etc.) into areas subject to special restrictions on any existing or proposed buildings.

to encircle or surround with a zone, girdle, belt, or the like.

verb (used without object), zoned, zon·ing.

to be formed into zones.

Verb Phrases

zone out, Informal. to become inattentive or dazed: I must have zoned out toward the end of the lecture.

OTHER WORDS FOR zone

1 region.

17 gird, band.

See synonyms for zone on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of zone

First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin zōna, from Greek zṓnē “belt”

synonym study for zone

1. See belt.

OTHER WORDS FROM zone

zoneless, adjectivein·ter·zone, nounmis·zone, verb, mis·zoned, mis·zon·ing.un·zone, verb (used with object), un·zoned, un·zon·ing.

Words nearby zone

zona reticularis, zonate, zona tecta, zonation, Zond, zone, zone defense, zone melting, zone of accumulation, zone of avoidance, zone of fire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use zone in a sentence

Across global fire zones, “One common thread is that Indigenous stewardship is something that we can learn from,” said Greenpeace’s Brindis.
What wildfires in Brazil, Siberia, and the US West have in common|Lili Pike|September 17, 2020|Vox
In other words, larger dead zones would have made for smaller life zones.
Dawn of the Heliocene - Issue 90: Something Green|Summer Praetorius|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
She found some zones of closely spaced wide dark bands in the tusks that might indicate stress and seasons of torpor.
Ancient Lystrosaurus tusks may show the oldest signs of a hibernation-like state|Susan Milius|September 16, 2020|Science News
I sat down as you do when you go to a war zone, and I had to write a letter to … it literally says “Just in case.”
Pete Buttigieg Says Dems Did Not Coordinate to Seal Biden’s Primary Win|Nick Fouriezos|September 9, 2020|Ozy

As embryos, they still had four zones of germline gene expression, but the subsets of genes expressed in each zone had changed.
How Two Became One: Origins of a Mysterious Symbiosis Found|Viviane Callier|September 9, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Strong currents and winds, however, mean any debris could be drifting up to 31 miles a day eastward, away from the impact zone.
Wreckage, Bodies of AirAsia Crash Found|Lennox Samuels|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For instance, Best Buy has over 40 million members in its customer loyalty program, Reward Zone.
Best Buy Punches Back at Amazon|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By drawing boundaries against wrongful conduct, law provides a protective zone of freedom within those boundaries.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
South Korean activists are already planning to loft them over the Demilitarized Zone in balloons.
U.S. Should Make North Korea Pay for Sony Hack|Gordon G. Chang|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Among the scores of bystanders watching their small town turn into war zone was a Marine veteran who was close with Stone.
Hunt for Iraq Vet After Killing Spree|M.L. Nestel|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Worst danger zone, the open sea, now traversed, but on land not yet out of the wood.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
When well stained, a delicate hyaline peripheral zone can be distinguished.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
A plaque upon a red corpuscle is surrounded by a colorless zone rather than by a distinct blue body.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It was of a cylindrical shape, having a deep zone at the equator, and a containing capacity of about 300 feet.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones
We there meet with the fruits of the torrid zone, and near them the apple and the peach of Europe.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for zone

zone

/ (zəʊn) /

noun

a region, area, or section characterized by some distinctive feature or quality

a sphere of thought, disagreement, argument, etc

an area subject to a particular political, military, or government function, use, or jurisdictiona demilitarized zone

(often capital) geography one of the divisions of the earth's surface, esp divided into latitudinal belts according to temperatureSee Torrid Zone, Frigid Zone, Temperate Zone

geology a distinctive layer or region of rock, characterized by particular fossils (zone fossils), metamorphism, structural deformity, etc

ecology an area, esp a belt of land, having a particular flora and fauna determined by the prevailing environmental conditions

maths a portion of a sphere between two parallel planes intersecting the sphere

sport

a mental state that enables a competitor to perform to the best of his or her abilityHingis is in the zone at the moment
(modifier) of or relating to competitive performance that depends on the mood or state of mind of the participanta zone player

archaic, or literary a girdle or belt

NZ a section on a transport route; fare stage

NZ a catchment area for pupils for a specific school

in the zone See zone (def. 8)

verb (tr)

to divide into zones, as for different use, jurisdiction, activities, etc

to designate as a zone

to mark with or divide into zones

NZ to establish (an area) as a zone for a specific school

Derived forms of zone

zoning, noun

Word Origin for zone

C15: from Latin zōna girdle, climatic zone, from Greek zōnē

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for zone

zone

[ zōn ]

An area or a region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic.

zona

A segment.

Scientific definitions for zone

zone

[ zōn ]

Any of the five regions of the surface of the Earth that are loosely divided according to prevailing climate and latitude, including the Torrid Zone, the North and South Temperate zones, and the North and South Frigid zones.

Ecology An area characterized by distinct physical conditions and populated by communities of certain kinds of organisms.

Mathematics A portion of a sphere bounded by the intersections of two parallel planes with the sphere.

Anatomy An area or a region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic.

Geology A region or stratum distinguished by composition or content.

zone

OTHER WORDS FOR zone

Origin of zone

synonym study for zone

OTHER WORDS FROM zone

Words nearby zone

Words related to zone

How to use zone in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for zone

Derived forms of zone

Word Origin for zone

Medical definitions for zone

Scientific definitions for zone