I. zone 1 W3 /zəʊn $ zoʊn/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: zona 'belt, zone' , from Greek zone ]
1 . a large area that is different from other areas around it in some way:
San Francisco and Tokyo are both located in earthquake zones.
The government has set up a special economic zone to promote private enterprise.
2 . in the zone informal having all your attention on what you are doing, especially playing a sport, and doing it well:
When I’m in the zone, every shot seems easy.
⇨ buffer zone at ↑ buffer 1 (3), ⇨ ↑ no-fly zone , ↑ time zone
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + zone
▪ danger zone
Civilians were told to leave the danger zone.
▪ a war/battle/combat zone
Planes were diverted to avoid flying over the war zone.
▪ an earthquake zone (=where earthquakes are quite likely to happen)
It’s not advisable to build nuclear reactors in an earthquake zone.
▪ a disaster zone
The damage is so serious that the government has declared the city a disaster zone.
▪ an economic zone (=an area with special trade or tax conditions)
The area has been made a special economic zone.
▪ an enterprise zone (=where businesses are encouraged)
Small businesses predominated in the enterprise zone.
▪ a no-parking zone
You can’t leave your car here – it’s a no-parking zone.
▪ a pedestrian zone (=where no vehicles are allowed)
The main part of the city centre is a pedestrian zone.
▪ a 20 mph/30 mph etc zone (=where vehicles’ speed is limited to 20 mph, 30 mph etc)
He was doing 42 mph in a 30 mph zone.
▪ a demilitarized zone (=where soldiers and military activities are not allowed)
The demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait was created after the first Gulf war.
▪ a no-fly zone (=an area that aircraft are not allowed to fly in)
the no-fly zone over Iraq
▪ a nuclear-free/smoke-free etc zone (=where nuclear weapons, smoking etc is not allowed)
The county council offices are a smoke-free zone.
■ verbs
▪ set up/establish/create a zone
The government intends to set up an enterprise zone in the region.
▪ enter a zone
He didn’t see the sign saying he’d entered a 20 mph zone.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ area a part of a town or country, or of the world:
They live in a very wealthy area.
|
coastal areas
▪ region a large area of a country or the world:
the northwest region of Russia
|
desert regions
▪ zone an area that is different from other areas around it in some way:
a war zone
|
a no-parking zone
|
We crossed two different time zonesareas where there is a particular time compared to the rest of the world.
▪ district one of the areas a city or town is officially divided into, or an area of a city where a particular group live or an activity happens:
the Chelsea district of Manhattan
| the business/financial/theatre etc district :
the financial district of London
▪ neighbourhood British English , neighborhood American English /ˈneɪbəhʊd $ -ər-/ an area of a town where people live:
a friendly neighbourhood
|
There are lots of trees in our neighborhood.
▪ suburb an area outside the centre of a city, where people live:
a suburb of Boston
▪ quarter an area of a town or city where people of a particular nationality live:
the French quarter of New Orleans
▪ slum an area of a city that is in very bad condition, where many poor people live:
He grew up in the slums of East London.
▪ ghetto an area of a city where poor people of a particular race or class live:
a black baby born in the ghetto
II. zone 2 BrE AmE verb
[transitive usually passive] American English if an area of land is zoned, it is officially kept separate from other land so that it can be used for a particular purpose:
The land is currently zoned for residential use.
zone out phrasal verb informal
to stop paying attention because you are bored or tired, or because you have taken drugs:
What? Oh, sorry – I was just zoning out there for a minute.