Adjacent Words

Zone definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ZONE, n. [L., Gr.]
1. A girdle.
An embroiderd zone surrounds her waist.
2. In geography, a division of the earth, with respect to the temperature of different latitudes. The zones are five; the torrid zone, extending from tropic to tropic 46 degrees, 56 degrees, or 23 degrees 28' on each side of the equator; two temperate or variable zones, situated between the tropics and polar circles; and two frigid zones, situated between the polar circles and the poles.
3. Circuit; circumference.
Ciliary zone, in anatomy, the black impression of the ciliary processes on the vitreous humor of the eye.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features
2: any of the regions of the surface of the Earth loosely divided according to latitude or longitude [syn: zone, geographical zone]
3: an area or region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic
4: (anatomy) any encircling or beltlike structure [syn: zone, zona] v
1: regulate housing in; of certain areas of towns [syn: zone, district]
2: separate or apportion into sections; "partition a room off" [syn: partition, zone]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin zona belt, zone, from Greek z?n?; akin to Lithuanian juosti to gird Date: 15th century 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 (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: 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 United States 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 on a field of play d. a stretch of roadway or a space in which certain traffic regulations are in force 6. zone defense 7. a temporary state of heightened concentration experienced by a performing athlete that enables peak performance <players in the zone> II. transitive verb (zoned; zoning) Date: 1782 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 (as residence or business) • zoner noun III. adjective Date: 1795 1. zonal 1 2. of, relating to, or occurring in a zone defense <a zone press> <a zone blitz>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 an area having particular features, properties, purpose, or use (danger zone; erogenous zone; smokeless zone). 2 any well-defined region of more or less beltlike form. 3 a an area between two exact or approximate concentric circles. b a part of the surface of a sphere enclosed between two parallel planes, or of a cone or cylinder etc., between such planes cutting it perpendicularly to the axis. 4 (in full time zone) a range of longitudes where a common standard time is used. 5 Geol. etc. a range between specified limits of depth, height, etc., esp. a section of strata distinguished by characteristic fossils. 6 Geog. any of five divisions of the earth bounded by circles parallel to the equator (see FRIGID, TEMPERATE, TORRID). 7 an encircling band or stripe distinguishable in colour, texture, or character from the rest of the object encircled. 8 archaic a belt or girdle worn round the body. --v.tr. 1 encircle as or with a zone. 2 arrange or distribute by zones. 3 assign as or to a particular area. Derivatives: zonal adj. zoning n. (in sense 3 of v.). Etymology: F zone or L zona girdle f. Gk zone

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Zone Zone (z[=o]n), n. [F. zone, L. zona, Gr. zw`nh; akin to zwnny`nai to gird, Lith. j[*u]sta a girdle, j[*u]sti to gird, Zend y[=a]h.] 1. A girdle; a cincture. [Poetic] An embroidered zone surrounds her waist. --Dryden. Loose were her tresses seen, her zone unbound. --Collins. 2. (Geog.) One of the five great divisions of the earth, with respect to latitude and temperature. Note: The zones are five: the torrid zone, extending from tropic to tropic 46[deg] 56[min], or 23[deg] 28[min] on each side of the equator; two temperate or variable zones, situated between the tropics and the polar circles; and two frigid zones, situated between the polar circles and the poles. Commerce . . . defies every wind, outrides every tempest, and invades. --Bancroft. 3. (Math.) The portion of the surface of a sphere included between two parallel planes; the portion of a surface of revolution included between two planes perpendicular to the axis. --Davies & Peck (Math. Dict.) 4. (Nat. Hist.) (a) A band or stripe extending around a body. (b) A band or area of growth encircling anything; as, a zone of evergreens on a mountain; the zone of animal or vegetable life in the ocean around an island or a continent; the Alpine zone, that part of mountains which is above the limit of tree growth. 5. (Crystallog.) A series of planes having mutually parallel intersections. 6. Circuit; circumference. [R.] --Milton. Abyssal zone. (Phys. Geog.) See under Abyssal. Zone axis (Crystallog.), a straight line passing through the center of a crystal, to which all the planes of a given zone are parallel.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Zone Zone, v. t. To girdle; to encircle. [R.] --Keats.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Zone Zone, n. 1. (Biogeography) An area or part of a region characterized by uniform or similar animal and plant life; a life zone; as, Littoral zone, Austral zone, etc. Note: The zones, or life zones, commonly recognized for North America are Arctic, Hudsonian, Canadian, Transition, Upper Austral, Lower Austral, and Tropical. 2. (Cryst.) A series of faces whose intersection lines with each other are parallel. 3. (Railroad Econ.) (a) The aggregate of stations, in whatsoever direction or on whatsoever line of railroad, situated between certain maximum and minimum limits from a point at which a shipment of traffic originates. (b) Any circular or ring-shaped area within which the street-car companies make no differences of fare. 4. In the United States parcel-post system, any of the areas about any point of shipment for which but one rate of postage is charged for a parcel post shipment from that point. The rate increases from within outwards. The first zone includes the unit of area ``(a quadrangle 30 minutes square)'' in which the place of shipment is situated and the 8 contiguous units; the outer limits of the second to the seventh zones, respectively, are approximately 150, 300, 600, 1000, 1400, and 1800 miles from the point of shipment; the eighth zone includes all units of area outside the seventh zone.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(zones, zoning, zoned) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A zone is an area that has particular features or characteristics. Many people have stayed behind in the potential war zone... The area has been declared a disaster zone. ...time zones. N-COUNT: oft n N 2. If an area of land is zoned, it is formally set aside for a particular purpose. The land was not zoned for commercial purposes... VERB: usu passive, be V-ed • zoning ...the use of zoning to preserve agricultural land...

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. (Poetical.) Belt, girdle, cincture, girth, baldric, band. 2. Region, clime, climate. 3. (Geom.) Surface bounded by parallel circles (on a sphere), belt.

Moby Thesaurus

area, bailiwick, belt, circle, department, district, domain, locale, locality, precinct, province, quarter, realm, region, section, sector, segment, sphere, terrain, territory, tract, turf