ozone layer

noun

: an atmospheric layer at heights of about 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) that is normally characterized by high ozone content which blocks most solar ultraviolet radiation from entry into the lower atmosphere

Examples of ozone layer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While bombarded by public service announcements encouraging me to save the whales, feed starving African children, and conserve freshwater, none alarmed me quite as much as those that advertised the hole in the ozone layer. —Lauren Stienstra, Time, 17 Apr. 2025

Still, some astronomers remain concerned that the growing Starlink constellation poses a problem for their observations and the environment, saying that more research is needed to examine Starlink’s potential toll on the ozone layer. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025

If Earth were to take a direct hit from such a jet, the high-energy particles within it could degrade our ozone layer and lead to a mass extinction. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025

The shock wave in combination with high-energy burst could alter the planet’s atmosphere or strip away its outermost protective ozone layer, exposing life to harmful cosmic radiation. —David Bressan, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ozone layer

• assayer
• ballplayer
• betrayer
• bilayer
• bricklayer
• conveyer
• conveyor
• purveyor
• ratepayer
• soothsayer
• surveyor
• taxpayer

Kids Definition

ozone layer

noun

: a layer of the earth's atmosphere at heights of about 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) that is normally characterized by high ozone content which blocks most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation from entry into the lower atmosphere