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zone

1. A girdle; a cincture. An embroidered zone surrounds her waist. (Dryden) Loose were her tresses seen, her zone unbound. (Collins)

2. (Science: geography) One of the five great divisions of the earth, with respect to latitude and temperature.

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. (Science: mathematics) 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.

4. A band or stripe extending around a body. 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. (Science: chemistry) A series of planes having mutually parallel intersections.

6. Circuit; circumference. Abyssal zone. To girdle; to encircle.

(Science: physics) A [[str 4e4 aight]] line passing through the center of a crystal, to which all the planes of a given zone are parallel.

Origin: F. Zone, L. Zona, Gr.; akin to to gird, Lith. Jsta to gird, Zend yah. A circumscribed geographical region characterized by some distinctive features.Any of the regions of the surface of the Earth loosely divided according to latitude or longitude.An area or region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic.Separate or apportion into sections; partition a room off.A specified area.