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

1. \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.
   

2. \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.
   

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

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