zone

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin zona belt, zone, from Greek zōnē; 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

>