zone

1 of 3

noun

plural zones
1
a
: any of five great divisions of the earth's surface with respect to latitude and temperature compare frigid zone, temperate zone, torrid zone
b
: a portion of the surface of a sphere included between two parallel planes
2
archaic : girdle, belt
3
a
: an encircling anatomical structure
b(1)
: a subdivision of a biogeographic region that supports a similar fauna and flora throughout its extent
(2)
: such a zone dominated by a particular life form
c
: a distinctive belt, layer, or series of layers of earth materials (such as rock)
4
: a region or area set off as distinct from surrounding or adjoining parts
5
: one of the sections of an area or territory created for a particular purpose: such as
a
: a zoned section of a city
b(1)
: any of the eight concentric bands of territory centered on a given postal shipment point designated as a distance bracket for U.S. parcel post to which mail is charged at a single rate
(2)
: a distance within which the same fare is charged by a common carrier
c
: an area of a field, court, or rink in which players defend or attack
penalized for entering the offensive zone offside
turnovers caused by an aggressive defensive zone press
[Daniel Jones] praised Slayton for his big efforts … "Yeah, I think he was doing a good job getting open, found some space in their zone, especially on third down, and made a couple of nice catches …"Stephen Lebitsch
d
: a stretch of roadway or a space in which certain traffic regulations are in force
6
7
: a temporary state of heightened concentration experienced by a person that enables peak performance
… found his zone, taking the … Championship title …Joey Goodman
"I managed to start off with three birdies in a row and carried that momentum through the rest of the round," he [Darren Fichardt] said. "I was in the zone today and overall, I played some solid golf. …"The Sunday Post
There's no underestimating how much work you can get done when you're in the zone and listening to music …Alan Henry

zone

2 of 3

verb

zoned; zoning; zones

transitive verb

1
: to surround with a zone : encircle
2
: to arrange in or mark off into zones
specifically : to partition (a city, borough, or township) by ordinance into sections reserved for different purposes (such as residence or business)
zoner noun
plural zoners

see also zone in, zone out

zone

3 of 3

adjective

1
2
: of, relating to, or occurring in a zone defense
a zone press
a zone blitz

Examples of zone in a Sentence

Noun at that point we were out of the danger zone for avalanches Verb The town council voted to zone the area for industrial use.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Exploring the hot zone between childhood and adulthood, when emotions can be at their most overwhelming, the show dispenses with dialogue completely and leaps directly to movement and song. Jesse Green, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Those five time zones are still used today as well as additional zones established during World War II. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The conditions offered a much more complicated picture than the LAHSA report about what happened in the anti-camping zones created by the council. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Plant hardiness zone maps recently were updated, showing Michigan's expanding capability to grow plants that previously only grew in states south of here. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Among other things, schools are required to have cooling zones with cold-water immersion tubs that can reduce core body temperatures in case of heat illness and are to ensure that students are drinking enough electrolytes. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Reid was driving more than 80 mph in a 65 mph zone when his truck struck multiple cars near the Chiefs' stadium on Feb. 4, 2021. Joe Ruiz, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024 Laguna Beach in 2023 adopted stricter rules for building or doing extensive expansions on bluffs, requiring developments be set back at least 25 feet from the cliff in specified zones. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Excessive precipitation events were the big-danger zone. Audrey Gray, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
Both the House and Senate have held several hearings to discuss issues in the housing market such as affordability, zoning reform and price fixing. Bryan Mena, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 In areas zoned for commercial use, religious institutions could increase that density to 30 units per acre. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Most of the neighborhood, called the Country Club, was zoned for single-family housing. Jason Deparle Bobby Altman, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 The Housing Expansion and Affordability Act would seek to incentivize the development of affordable housing by streamlining the process for developing in high-density areas, limiting the ability of local jurisdictions to deny or restrict some projects, and adjusting other zoning regulations. Sam Janesch, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2024 The site is zoned for residential uses, which Tuffin said is much more appropriate than a commercial center directly across from the high school. The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 In addition to outright bans on new wind and solar, many places have significant impediments that prevent construction, including zoning restrictions, land-use rules and political stonewalling. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Every night, before the closers left, everything in the store was put away, all clothes were properly zoned. Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024 Up to 10,000 square feet of retail space was approved through a zoning change. Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 9 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The 3,100-square-foot home – a midcentury modern design with four bedrooms and four bathrooms – will be built using insulated concrete form walls by Fox Blocks and include multi-zone Lennox high-efficiency air conditioning, a tankless hot water heater and a natural gas fireplace. Dallas News, 17 Jan. 2021 Energy-efficient insulation and multi-zone heating and cooling systems (in the two-level home styles) help to offset the rising energy costs. Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 28 Jan. 2023 These midweight socks provide enough insulation for most winter climates, but have multi-zone mesh panels to maximize breathability and minimize sweat and chafing. Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2022 Here was another mid-zone run, this time against the Lions in Week 7: The O-line did a great job of displacing both defensive tackles. Dallas News, 8 Nov. 2022 The optional Platinum Premium package adds a head-up display, heated rear seats, and tri-zone automatic climate control. Mark Takahashi, Car and Driver, 9 Dec. 2022 Thanks to a special ultra-zone technology that ensures consistent heat across the barrel, the blow-drying tool instantly delivers a silky-smooth finish with va-va-voom volume at the root. Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 28 Oct. 2022 There are also smart ductless air conditioners on the market, plus the majority of units come in a range of capacity options, along with single- and multi-zone models. Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 6 June 2022 And, there’s tri-zone climate controls, so passengers can control their own climate and cupholders for the second-row passengers. Christian De Looper, BGR, 7 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin zōna "belt, girdle, imaginary band encircling the earth," borrowed from Greek zṓnē, going back to Indo-European *i̯eh3s-neh2, whence also, with stem variation, Russian Church Slavic pojasnĭ "belt," Sanskrit rā́snā "girdle" (*yā́snā crossed with raśanā́ "rope, bridle, girth"); derivative from a verbal base *i̯eh3s- "encircle, girdle," whence, with various stem formatives, Old Church Slavic pojašǫ, pojasati "to gird," Lithuanian júosiu, júosti, Albanian ngjesh- "gird, encircle, compress," Greek zṓnnȳmi, aorist ézōsa "(I) gird(ed)"; from a verbal adjective in *-t- Lithuanian júosta "band, zone," Greek zōstós "belted, girded," Avestan yāsta-

Verb

derivative of zone entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of zone entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of zone was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near zone

Cite this Entry

“Zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

zone

1 of 2 noun
1
: any of five great divisions of the earth's surface with respect to latitude and temperature
2
: a region or area set off from surrounding or neighboring parts
3
: one of the sections of an area or territory created for a particular purpose
4
: an area on a playing field

zone

2 of 2 verb
zoned; zoning
: to divide into zones
especially : to divide (as a city) into sections for different purposes (as manufacturing)

Medical Definition

zone

noun
1
: an encircling anatomical structure
2
: a region or area set off as distinct

Legal Definition

zone

1 of 2 noun
: a specifically designated section of a larger area or territory: as
a
: a section of a municipality controlled by specific restrictions on permitted use (as for residences or agriculture)
b
: a distance within which the same fare is charged by a common carrier
c
: a stretch of roadway or a space within which certain traffic regulations are in force

zone

2 of 2 transitive verb
zoned; zoning
1
a
: to partition (as a city or town) by ordinance into sections reserved for different purposes (as residence or business)
b
: to designate the permitted use of (property) by placement in a municipal zone
land zoned for agricultural use
2
: to restrict different kinds of (use) to different areas
the power to zone land use within its borders

More from Merriam-Webster on zone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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