I. ˈzōn noun
( -s )
Etymology: Latin zona girdle, belt, zone, from Greek zōnē; akin to Greek zōma girdle, zōnnynai to gird, Lithuanian juosti to gird, Avestan yasta encircled, girt
1.
a. : any of five great divisions of the earth's surface with respect to latitude and temperature — see frigid zone , temperate zone , torrid zone
b. : any division of a planetary surface bounded by two encircling parallels
zones of the sun's surface
c. : a belt around the heavens bounded usually by small circles parallel to the equator of the system of coordinates involved
zones of declination in the equatorial system
d. obsolete : the course or range of a celestial body (as the sun)
the sun … in the great zone of heaven — John Milton
e. : the portion of the surface of a sphere included between two parallel planes : the part of a surface of revolution between two planes perpendicular to the axis
f. : a series of faces of a crystal whose intersection lines with each other are all parallel
2. archaic : girdle , belt , band
how to loose the zone of virgins — Robert Herrick †1674
3. : something that forms a concentric band
surrounding the hub lies the middle zone … largely residential — J.E.Pate
as
a. : any encircling anatomical area or structure ; specifically : one of the three regions in the retina of the eye differing in color sensitivity
all hues can be seen with the inner or central zone , blue and yellow with the middle, and only colorless light with the outer
b.
(1) : a typically band-formed part of a biogeographic region that usually has a distinct slope and a markedly uniform climate and supports a similar fauna and flora throughout its extent : life zone
a marine littoral zone
the Australian zone
(2) : such a zone characterized by the dominance of some life form
the laminarian zone below low tide
a broad zone of elfin woodland
c. : a belt, layer, or series of layers of earth materials (as rock) characterized by some particular property, action, or content
the zone of saturation
the eohippus zone
4. : a region or area set off or characterized as distinct from surrounding or adjoining parts
the danger zone
a zone of influence
erogenous zone
the movement of individuals … into and out of the survey zone — J.M.Mogey
a zone of uncertainty and hesitation in … foreign policy — Atlantic
5. : one of the sections or divisions of an area or territory created for a particular purpose
a zone of military occupation
divided the country into 10 sales zones
as
a. : a section of a city that has been zoned
b. : any one of the eight concentric bands of territory centered on any given postal shipment point that is arbitrarily designated as a distance bracket for United States parcel post mail so that shipments to all points within it may be charged at a single rate — called also parcel post zone
c. : one of the numbered sections into which a large city or metropolitan area is divided in the United States postal system so that placing the appropriate number after the name of the post office in the address on postal matter facilitates sorting and delivery of the mail — called also postal delivery zone
d. : the aggregate of stations in a direction or on a line of railroad situated between various maximum and minimum limits from a point at which a shipment of traffic originates
e. : any distance (as within a circular area or on a single line) within which the same fare is charged by a common carrier
the 20-cent fare zone
f. : an area on a field of play
the end zones of a football field
g. : a stretch of roadway, section of a thoroughfare, or part of a street system in which certain traffic regulations are in force
school zone
no-parking zone
no-passing zone
— compare safety zone
h. : a space at the curb reserved for the loading and unloading of materials and people
a commercial loading zone
bus loading zone
6. : a row of positions on a punched card of a computer
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to surround with or include within a zone or band : encircle
waist and … bosom agreeably zoned — Arnold Bennett
the … horizon is zoned with a mellow uniform band of light — E.K.Kane
2. : to arrange in or mark off into zones
zones the world into climatic provinces
zoned the house into sleeping, service, and living areas
specifically : to partition (a city, borough, or township) by ordinance into zones or sections reserved for different purposes (as residence, business, or manufacturing or combinations of these) and governed by appropriate building regulations (as of the height and area of all structures)
zoned the neighborhood as residential