zone

American  

[zohn] / zoʊn /

noun

1. 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 temperature lies outside the danger zone.

   The decisions were formulated in a zone of uncertainty.

   The temperature lies outside the danger zone.

   Synonyms:

   region

2. 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.

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

4. Geology. a horizon.

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

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

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

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

9. time zone.

10. 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.

11. Sports. a particular portion of a playing area.

    The wing was trapped with the puck in his own defensive zone.

12. Informal. the zone, 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.

13. Archaic. a girdle or belt; cincture.

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verb (used with object)

zoned, zoning

1. to mark with zones or bands.

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

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

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

   Synonyms:

   band, gird

verb (used without object)

zoned, zoning

1. to be formed into zones.

verb phrase

1. zone out to become inattentive or dazed.

   I must have zoned out toward the end of the lecture.

zone British  

/ zəʊn /

noun

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

2. a sphere of thought, disagreement, argument, etc

3. an area subject to a particular political, military, or government function, use, or jurisdiction

   a demilitarized zone

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

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

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

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

8. sport

   1. a mental state that enables a competitor to perform to the best of his or her ability

      Hingis is in the zone at the moment

   2. (modifier) of or relating to competitive performance that depends on the mood or state of mind of the participant

      a zone player

9. archaic a girdle or belt

10. a section on a transport route; fare stage

11. a catchment area for pupils for a specific school

12. See zone

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verb

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

2. to designate as a zone

3. to mark with or divide into zones

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

zone Scientific  

/ zōn /

1. 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.

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

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

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

5. Geology A region or stratum distinguished by composition or content.

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Related Words

See belt .

Other Word Forms

• interzone noun
• miszone verb
• unzone verb (used with object)
• zoneless adjective
• zoning noun

Etymology

Origin of zone

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

Explanation

A zone is an area that has some special characteristic, like a loading zone. "The Twilight Zone" was a TV show where odd things happened. Similarly, any zone is a place that has some special feature. A loading zone is a spot where cars and trucks can unload things and people. A military zone is a place under control of the armed forces. To create a zone is called zoning: zoning breaks something into parts or sections. An election board zones an area into separate zones such as districts.

Example Sentences

Based on measurements of ballplayers’ dimensions — but not, crucially, the stance individual players take at the plate — ABS makes the television strike zone into the actual one.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

But, like a batter doubling as umpire, the rules allow funds to tweak their strike zone after the fact in fund literature.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

But as the series progresses, her thought process begins to change when she is forced to decide between her "comfort zone" or "to hold the hand of a woman she's not really fond of".

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Security was tight in the Pakistani capital on Saturday, with a heavy police and paramilitary presence on the streets and road diversions around the "red zone" where government and diplomatic buildings are located.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

To keep things in that perfect zone, engineers insert control rods into the reactor.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• area
• belt
• ground
• region
• section
• sector
• territory