noun An area or region marked off by a particular feature, purpose, or restriction.
- Parking is banned in the loading zone outside the shop.
- The company operates in three different time zones.
- Cyclists must slow down when they enter the pedestrian zone in the town center.
noun A state of intense focus in which someone performs at their best.
- The pianist was completely in the zone by the second movement.
- Once the music started, the dancer slipped into the zone and forgot the audience.
- I work best in the zone, with my phone switched off and silence around me.
verb To designate an area for a specific use under planning law.
- The council voted to zone the riverside plot for housing.
- Under the new plan, the old car park will be zoned for shops and offices.
- Parts of the town center are zoned as pedestrian-only areas.
verb To drift off mentally, losing focus on one's surroundings.
- Whenever the lecture turns to dates, I tend to zone out completely.
- He zoned out on the bus and missed his stop.
- I zoned out halfway through the meeting.
