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.
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.
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.
Origin of zone
1490–1500; < Latinzōna < Greekzṓnē belt
Related formszone·less, adjectivein·ter·zone, nounmis·zone, verb,mis·zoned,mis·zon·ing.un·zone, verb (used with object),un·zoned,un·zon·ing.
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)geographyone of the divisions of the earth's surface, esp divided into latitudinal belts according to temperatureSee Torrid Zone, Frigid Zone, Temperate Zone
geologya distinctive layer or region of rock, characterized by particular fossils (zone fossils), metamorphism, structural deformity, etc
ecologyan area, esp a belt of land, having a particular flora and fauna determined by the prevailing environmental conditions
mathsa 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, orliterarya girdle or belt
NZa section on a transport route; fare stage
NZa catchment area for pupils for a specific school
late 14c., from Latin zona "geographical belt, celestial zone," from Greek zone "a belt," related to zonnynai "to gird," from PIE root *yes- "to gird, girdle" (cf. Avestan yasta- "girt," Lithuanian juosiu "to gird," Old Church Slavonic po-jasu "girdle").
Originally one of the five great divisions of the earth's surface (torrid, temperate, frigid; separated by tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and Arctic and Antarctic circles); meaning "any discrete region" is first recorded 1822. Zone defense in team sports is recorded from 1927. Zoning "land-use planning" is recorded from 1912. Zoned (adj.) in drug-use sense is attested 1960s, from ozone, which is found high in the atmosphere; the related verb to zone is from 1980s.
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.
EcologyAn area characterized by distinct physical conditions and populated by communities of certain kinds of organisms.
MathematicsA portion of a sphere bounded by the intersections of two parallel planes with the sphere.
AnatomyAn area or a region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic.
GeologyA region or stratum distinguished by composition or content.
