zone

/zoʊn/

/zəʊn/

Other forms: zones; zoning; zoned

A zone is an area that has some special characteristic, like a loading zone.

"The Twilight Zone" was a TV show where odd things happened. Similarly, any zone is a place that has some special feature. A loading zone is a spot where cars and trucks can unload things and people. A military zone is a place under control of the armed forces. To create a zone is called zoning: zoning breaks something into parts or sections. An election board zones an area into separate zones such as districts.

Definitions of zone

1. noun

   an area or region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic
   examples:

   Panama Canal Zone

   a zone consisting of a strip of land across the Isthmus of Panama that contains the Panama Canal

   types:

   buffer, buffer zone

   a neutral zone between two rival powers that is created in order to diminish the danger of conflict

   combat area, combat zone

   a military area where combat forces operate

   danger zone

   a dangerous area

   DMZ, demilitarized zone

   a zone from which military forces or operations or installations are prohibited

   drop zone, dropping zone

   an agreed area where military supplies are dropped to ground troops

   kill zone, killing zone

   an area where a battle has occurred with many fatalities

   strike zone

   (baseball) the area over home plate between a batter's knees and shoulders through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike

   tidal zone

   an area subject to tidal action

   war zone

   a combat zone where military operations are coordinated (especially a designated area in international waters where the rights of neutrals are not respected by nations at war)

   bridgehead, foothold

   an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is held awaiting further troops and supplies

   type of:

   part, region

   the extended spatial location of something
2. noun

   a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features
   types:

   island

   a zone or area resembling an island

   kitchen island

   an unattached counter in a kitchen that permits access from all sides

   safety island, safety isle, safety zone, traffic island

   a curbed area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded; provides safe area for pedestrians

   type of:

   place, spot, topographic point

   a point located with respect to surface features of some region
3. noun

   any of the regions of the surface of the Earth loosely divided according to latitude or longitude
   synonyms: geographical zone

   types:

   climatic zone

   any of the geographical zones loosely divided according to prevailing climate and latitude

   time zone

   any of the 24 regions of the globe (loosely divided by longitude) throughout which the same standard time is used

   transit zone

   a six million square mile area that includes the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern Pacific Ocean; includes the principal routes used by drug smugglers

   Frigid Zone, polar region, polar zone

   the part of the Earth's surface forming a cap over a pole; characterized by frigid climate

   Temperate Zone

   the part of the Earth's surface between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer or between the Antarctic Circle and the Tropic of Capricorn; characterized by temperate climate

   semitropics, subtropics

   regions adjacent to the tropics

   type of:

   geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region

   a demarcated area of the Earth
4. noun

   (anatomy) any encircling or beltlike structure
   synonyms: zona

   types:

   zona pellucida

   thick membrane around the mammalian ovum; can be penetrated by one sperm in the fertilization process; usually remains around the fertilized egg until it is implanted in the wall of the uterus

   zonula, zonule

   small beltlike zone

   type of:

   anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure

   a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing
5. verb

   separate or apportion into sections
   synonyms: partition

   types:

   screen off, separate off

   partition by means of a divider, such as a screen

   type of:

   divide, separate

   make a division or separation
6. verb

   regulate housing in; of certain areas of towns
   synonyms: district

   type of:

   govern, order, regularise, regularize, regulate

   bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations