zone, v.

zone
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zone_v%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zoneverb

## Earlier version

- zone, v. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the verb zone mean?

There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb zone. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

This word is used in U.S. English.

zone has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

life sciences (late 1700s) geology (1900s) manufacturing and industry (1910s) politics (1980s)

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the verb zone?

About 5occurrences per million words in modern written English

1790 | 0.23
1800 | 0.24
1810 | 0.26
1820 | 0.27
1830 | 0.29
1840 | 0.33
1850 | 0.38
1860 | 0.43
1870 | 0.45
1880 | 0.52
1890 | 0.61
1900 | 0.79
1910 | 1.2
1920 | 1.8
1930 | 2.7
1940 | 3.5
1950 | 4.4
1960 | 5.2
1970 | 5.6
1980 | 5.4
1990 | 4.7
2000 | 4.2
2010 | 4.0

### How is the verb zone pronounced?

#### British English

/zəʊn/
zohn

#### U.S. English

/zoʊn/
zohn

#### West African English

/zon/

### Where does the verb zone come from?

Earliest known use

late 1700s

The earliest known use of the verb zone is in the late 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for zone is from 1792, in the writing of William Withering, physician and botanist.

It is also recorded as a noun from the Middle English period (1150—1500).

zone is formed within English, by conversion.

Etymons: zone n.

### Nearby entries

1. zonal marking, n. 1958–
2. zona pellucida, n. 1841–
3. zona radiata, n. 1881–
4. zona reticularis, n. 1874–
5. zonarious, adj. 1656–
6. zonary, adj. 1881–
7. zonate, adj. 1866–
8. zonated, adj. 1803–
9. zonation, n. 1898–
10. zone, n. a1500–
11. zone, v.1792–
12. zone centre | zone center, n. 1934–
13. zoned, adj. 1662–
14. zone defence | zone defense, n. 1927–
15. zone electrophoresis, n. 1952–
16. zone fossil, n. 1904–
17. zoneless, adj. 1748–
18. zonelet, n. 1855–
19. zone level, v. 1974–
20. zone leveller, n. 1956–
21. zone levelling, n. 1953–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by conversion.
< zone n.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   1795–
   transitive. To furnish with, or surround like, a zone or girdle; to gird, encircle.
   1. 1795

      > Her population..had zoned every hill with vines and with olive-trees.

      Monthly Review December 542
   2. 1795

      > Our road zoned the midway of the Alpine steeps which overhung it.

      A. Seward, Letters (1811) vol. IV. 105
   3. 1813

      > Art she invokes to Nature's aid, Her vest to zone, her locks to braid.

      W. Scott, Bridal of Triermain ii. iv. 59
   4. 1818

      > I could hear he lov'd Some fair immortal, and that his embrace Had zoned her through the night.

      J. Keats, Endymion ii. 80
   5. 1853

      > The southeastern horizon is zoned with a mellow uniform band of light.

      E. K. Kane, U.S. Grinnell Expedition (1856) xxviii. 237
   1. beclip Old English–
      To wrap round, enclose, encircle, surround.
   2. befong Old English–1275
      transitive. To encompass, enclose, comprehend.
   3. bego Old English–1387
      To go round; to compass, encompass. Obsolete.
   4. belie Old English–1627
      transitive. To surround, encompass.
   5. bestand Old English–1470
      To stand round in hostility; to beset, press hard upon, harass.
   6. to go about —— Old English–
      intransitive. To encircle, encompass, or surround wholly or partially.
   7. umbegang c1200–1440
      To go round, to surround.
   8. behem a1250–1618
      transitive. To hem round. literal and figurative.
   9. befall c1275
      ? To surround. Obsolete. rare.
   10. berun c1275–1522
       To run round about, encompass.
   11. gird c1290–
       Said of that which surrounds: To encircle, enclose, confine.
   12. umlap a1300–1480
       transitive. To encompass, surround.
   13. umlay a1300–1400
       transitive. To surround.
   14. umlouk a1300–1400
       transitive. To surround, enclose.
   15. bihalve c1300–1400
       transitive. To surround (a person or group) on all sides.
   16. umbego c1300–1440
       transitive. To go around, to encircle; to surround with something.
   17. belay c1320–1400
       (Predicated of the thing which lies around): To encircle, clasp or coil round (about). Obsolete.
   18. halse a1340
       To encompass by going round. Obsolete. rare.
   19. enclose 1340–
       Of things: To surround, bound on all sides; to envelop, contain.
   20. umbelap a1350–1504
       transitive. To encompass, surround.
   21. embrace c1360–
       To entwine, encircle, surround; to clasp, enclose. literal and figurative.
   22. betrend c1374–80
       To wind or draw round; to encompass.
   23. circle c1374–
       transitive. To surround or encompass with, or as with, a circle; to enclose in a circle; = encircle, v. 1 (Now chiefly poetic).
   24. umbecast a1375–1425
       transitive. To surround, encircle.
   25. to give about 1382–1483
       transitive. To encompass; surround. Obsolete.
   26. environ a1393–
       transitive. To encompass, envelop, enclose on all sides; (also) to screen or conceal from (now chiefly of the atmosphere, light, etc.). Formerly…
   27. umbeclip a1395–1450
       transitive. To surround, encircle.
   28. compass a1400–
       To encircle, environ, lie round and enclose, as the sea, a girdle, etc. Also with round, about, in.
   29. encircle?a1400–
       transitive. To enclose in a circle. (a) Of things, bodies of people, etc.: To form a circle round, surround. (b) To surround, gird, encompass with.
   30. enourle?a1400–00
       transitive. To border; ? to surround.
   31. umbegive a1400
       To surround.
   32. umbeset a1400–1624
       transitive. To surround, encompass, beset.
   33. umbelie c1400
       To surround.
   34. umbetigh c1400
       To encircle, surround.
   35. enround c1420–1616
       transitive. To surround, encircle.
   36. measure c1425–1680
       transitive. To encircle, encompass. Obsolete.
   37. umbstead c1450
       To surround.
   38. adviron?1473–1500
       transitive. To environ, surround.
   39. purprise 1481–89
       transitive. To encompass, enclose; to occupy. rare.
   40. umbeviron 1489
       To environ.
   41. belt a1500–
       transitive. Originally Scottish. To encircle as or like a belt; to form a ring around; to surround. Also: to surround or encircle with a wall…
   42. envire a1500–33
       = environ, v. (It is doubtful whether the first quot. belongs here.)
   43. girth a1500–
       transitive. To gird, surround, encompass.
   44. overgird a1500–1642
       transitive. To cover over or encircle completely with or as with a belt or girdle. Obsolete.
   45. round?a1513–
       transitive. To enclose, encircle, or surround. Now rare.
   46. umbereach 1513
       To surround.
   47. becompass 1520–
       To compass about.
   48. circue a1533
       transitive. To surround, encircle.
   49. girt c1540–
       transitive. = gird, v.¹ in various senses.
   50. umbset c1540
       To surround.
   51. circule 1553
       By-form of circulate, v., circle, v.
   52. encompass 1555–
       To encircle as a ring or girdle; to surround, bound on all sides.
   53. circulate?a1560–1685
       transitive. To go or run round; to encircle, encompass, surround. Obsolete.
   54. ingyre 1568
       transitive. To surround.
   55. to do about 1571–
       transitive. To surround, enclose. Now rare.
   56. engird 1573–
       transitive. To surround with, or as with, a girdle; to encircle, as a girdle does. Also, to engird in.
   57. circumdate 1578–1657
       transitive. To surround, encompass.
   58. succinge 1578
       transitive. To engirdle.
   59. brace 1579
       transitive. To enfold or wrap (a person or thing); to surround, encircle. Obsolete.
   60. employ 1579
       transitive. To enclose, encircle. Cf. imply, v. 1. Obsolete. rare.
   61. circuate 1581–1698
       To pass round, encompass, encircle.
   62. girdle 1582–
       transitive. To surround with a girdle. Also to girdle about, in, round. (Chiefly transferred and figurative.)
   63. wheel 1582–1667
       transferred. transitive. To encircle, surround, encompass. Obsolete. rare.
   64. circumgyre 1583
       transitive. To ‘go round’, encompass. rare.
   65. enring 1589–
       To form a ring round; to surround, encircle. literal and figurative. Also, to form into a ring.
   66. ring a1592–
       transitive. To be in a position or arrangement surrounding (something), to encompass, encircle. Also with round, around, about. Also figurative.
   67. embail 1593–99
       transitive. To enclose in a ring.
   68. enfold 1596–
       To encompass, encircle; to clasp, embrace. Also figurative.
   69. invier 1596–
       Variant of envire, v. Obsolete, to environ.
   70. stem 1596
       transitive. To encircle.
   71. circumcingle 1599
       To girdle round.
   72. engirt 1599–1746
       To surround as a girdle does; to encircle. Also figurative.
   73. ingert 1599
       transitive. = engirt, v.
   74. engirdle 1602–
       transitive. To surround with, or as with, a girdle; to serve as a girdle or enclosure to; to encompass. Also figurative.
   75. circulize 1603
       To encircle.
   76. circumscribe 1605–
       To encompass (without a line), to encircle.
   77. begirt 1608–
       transitive. To surround, encompass, enclose. (It has not the literal sense of begird.)
   78. to go round 1610–
       intransitive. To encircle, enclose, or surround something (frequently with the implication of being sufficient).
   79. enwheel a1616–
       transitive. To encircle, surround.
   80. surround 1616–
       To enclose, encompass, or beset on all sides; to stand, lie, or be situated around; also, to form the entourage of; often passive const. with or by…
   81. shingle 1621
       transitive. To girdle round.
   82. encirculize 1624
       transitive. To surround as with a circle; to hem in.
   83. circumviron 1632–
       To environ on all sides.
   84. beround 1643
   85. orb a1644–
       transitive. To enclose in, or as in, an orb or circle; to surround, encircle; to encompass with, or as with, a rim.
   86. circumference 1646–
       transitive. To form the circumference of, to encompass.
   87. becircle 1648
   88. incircuit c1650
       transitive. To encircle, surround.
   89. circumcinge 1657
       To gird round, or about.
   90. circumtend 1684
       To stretch around.
   91. besiege 1686–
       transferred. To crowd round like a besieging army; to block up, hem in.
   92. cincture 1789–
       transitive. To girdle, gird; to encircle, encompass, surround.
   93. zone 1795–
       transitive. To furnish with, or surround like, a zone or girdle; to gird, encircle.
   94. cravat 1814–
       transitive. To encircle (the neck, throat, etc.) with, or as if with, a cravat; to tie a cravat around.
   95. encincture 1820–
       transitive. To surround with, or as with, a belt or girdle; to girdle.
   96. circumvent 1824–
       To encompass, enclose (literally).
   97. begirdle 1837–
       transitive. To encompass or bind like a girdle or belt.
   98. perambulate 1863–82
       gen. transitive. figurative. To go around, encircle (a thing). Obsolete. rare.
   99. cordon 1891–
       To enclose with, or to cut off with, a cordon (senses 3, 4). Also figurative.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   1792–
   Natural History. To mark with zones, rings, or bands of colour. (Only in past participle)
   1. 1792

      > Auricularia papyrina... Annual, membranaceous, soft, zoned.

      W. Withering, British Plants (ed. 2) vol. III. 433
   2. 1854

      > Egyptian Jasper is zoned with colors, and forms nodules.

      J. D. Dana, Mineralogy (ed. 4) vol. II. 148
   3. 1871

      > A variety of the common pigeon with the wing-bars symmetrically zoned with three bright shades.

      C. Darwin, Descent of Man vol. II. xiv. 131
   life sciences
   1. zone 1792–
      Natural History. To mark with zones, rings, or bands of colour. (Only in past participle)
   View in Historical Thesaurus
3. 3.
   1904–
   Geology, etc. To divide into zones; to distribute or arrange in zones: see zone n. 7.
   1. 1904

      > The Ordovician and Silurian rocks have been zoned by means of their graptolites.

      Edinburgh Review January 222
   geology
   1. zone 1904–
      Geology, etc. To divide into zones; to distribute or arrange in zones: see zone, n. 7.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
4. 4.
   1916–
   Town Planning. To divide (a city, land, etc.) into areas subject to particular planning restrictions; to designate (a specific area) for use or development in this manner. Occasionally intransitive. Also (U.S.) const. out, to forbid (the siting of an enterprise) in a given area. Originally U.S.
   1. 1916

      > The plan to zone the city and regulate the height of buildings.

      New York Times 4 February 17/2
   2. 1919

      > The question of ‘zoning’ the metropolitan area, or separating the city into districts, in order that regulations may be applied to control the erection of shops and factories near residential sites, has recently been occupying the attention of the Melbourne City Council.

      Argus (Melbourne) 28 August 6
   3. 1934

      > There is practically no area around London that is zoned in a reasonable manner.

      W. H. Heath in E. Betham, House Building 1934–6 xviii. 180
   4. 1939

      > All the frontage of main streets was placed in business zones although..only a small fraction of areas so zoned can ever be used for that purpose.

      H. M. Lewis, City Planning xvi. 169
   5. 1967

      > Planners..are concerned that a community will be thoughtfully zoned overall.

      Boston Sunday Herald 26 March i. 9/4
   6. 1971

      > There is no guarantee that land zoned for housing will be released by the landowners.

      P. Gresswell, Environment 267
   7. 1975

      > A law that would ‘zone out’ massage parlors from the Times Square area on the principle that their proliferation is not sound community planning.

      New York Times 16 October 29/1
   8. 1976

      > When a municipality zones for industry and commerce for local tax benefits..it..must zone to permit adequate housing within the means of the employes involved in such uses.

      National Observer (U.S.) 14 August 7/2
   9. 1977

      > At that time, which was before horse racing was zoned out of the city, the track was on Stony Island Avenue near 63rd Street.

      Chicago Tribune Magazine 2 October 8/2
   10. 1978

       > The land, they say, is zoned for agribusiness.

       J. Updike, Coup (1979) vii. 274
   manufacturing and industry U.S. English
   1. zone 1916–
      Town Planning. To divide (a city, land, etc.) into areas subject to particular planning restrictions; to designate (a specific area) for use or…
   2. upzone 1952–
      transitive. To reclassify (an area, property, etc.) to a higher zone, typically allowing for more intensive use, e.g. from residential to…
   3. downzone 1957–
      transitive. To reclassify (an area, property, etc.) to a lower and typically more restrictive zone, e.g. from commercial to residential, or from…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. zone 1975–
      Town Planning. To divide (a city, land, etc.) into areas subject to particular planning restrictions; to designate (a specific area) for use or…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. zone 1976–
      Town Planning. To divide (a city, land, etc.) into areas subject to particular planning restrictions; to designate (a specific area) for use or…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
5. 5.
   1942–
   To restrict the distribution of (a commodity) to a designated area; used spec. concerning the allocation of foodstuffs in the war of 1939–45.
   1. 1942

      > We have arranged that the deliveries of bread shall be zoned.

      Hansard Lords 3 June 103
   2. 1945

      > Cyder, like many other things, is now zoned to save transport and labour.

      Daily Herald 31 August 2/1 (advertisement)
   3. 1952

      > The Group scheme of the National Film Finance Corporation has been announced. This ‘zoned’ a considerable proportion of British production.

      Annual Register 1951 394
   1. zone 1942–
      To restrict the distribution of (a commodity) to a designated area; used spec. concerning the allocation of foodstuffs in the war of 1939–45.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

### Additional sense (2006)

1. 1958–
   intransitive. colloquial. to zone in: to head directly for something; to focus or concentrate especially on something. Chiefly with on, to. Cf. home v. 5a, hone v.4
   1. 1958

      > We were all getting breakfast..and, bang, another one [sc. hurricane] zoned in.

      Listener 18 September 416/2
   2. 1972

      > He could not hope to zone in even on the secondary target.

      R. Crawford, Whip Hand i. v. 25
   3. 1977

      > He talks about ‘zoning in’ on things.

      New York Times 29 January 13
   4. 1990

      > Videos are also zoning in on hair color.

      Savvy Woman May 52/1
   5. 2004

      > Zoning in to the jet-set lifestyle should leave you sneering about the boringness of the rich.

      Independent 14 September 3/4
   colloquial and slang

### Additional sense (2002)

1. 1970–
   intransitive. U.S. slang. [Probably after zoned adj.] With out. To relax, to switch off, to detach oneself mentally from one's surroundings; (also) to lose concentration or consciousness, to fall asleep.
   1. 1970

      > It is time for me to go back to the solitude of my record player and listen to my four copies of Fun House... I can just lay there and zone out.

      ‘N. Stoogeling’ in J. Eisen, Twenty-minute Fandangos & Forever Changes (1971) 199
   2. 1982

      > The highlight of my week was to go..to Ranger games. It had nothing to do with my profession. I could just sit there and zone out.

      New York Times 28 November v. 5/1
   3. 1989

      > I tried to start up a conversation with a woman on a nearby machine, but she appeared to have zoned out.

      New York Woman November 84/2
   4. 1990

      > I'm bushed. I'm beat. I need an hour or so to zone out, to rest myself in this deluxe suite.

      Quarterly (U.S.) Winter 83
   5. 2000

      > ‘The idea was that kids would sit, stare at the [television] screen, and zone out,’ said Elizabeth Lorch, a psychologist at Amherst College.

      M. Gladwell, Tipping Point 100
   U.S. English colloquial and slang

### Additional sense (2019)

1. 1981–
   transitive. Nigerian English. To allocate a nomination for (a political office) to a candidate from a particular region, under the zoning system: see zoning n. Additions. Also with the candidate as object of the verb. Usually in passive.
   Frequently with to, indicating the region to which a nomination is allocated.
   1. 1981

      > At the National Level, the following officers shall be zoned; namely, the Office of the National Chairman, the President, the Vice-President, President and Deputy President of the Senate, National Secretary, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

      C. Okadigbo, Mission of NPN 98
   2. 1988

      > The local..ministerial candidate..was already zoned to a particular areal community in that state.

      S. E. Oyovbaire in O. Oyediran, Survey Nigerian Affairs 1978–9 vol. I. vii. 89
   3. 2019

      > The chairmanship position was zoned to Osun-Ogbomoso.

      Nigerian Tribune (Nexis) 14 February
   politics Nigerian English

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zəʊn/
zohn

### U.S. English

/zoʊn/
zohn

### West African English

/zon/

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea, thaw
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye, thee
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

/ɡb/ is often treated as a single sound, a simultaneous ‘double articulation’ of the two stop sounds.

Unlike in many other varieties of English, consonants cannot take on the function of vowels in West African English (there are no ‘syllabic consonants’).

##### Vowels

- ikit, fleece, happy
- eface
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath, palm, start, perch, letter
- ɔlot, cloth, thought, north, force, strut, work, cure
- ufoot, goose
- ogoat
- aipride
- aumouth
- ɔivoice
- ianear
- easquare
- uacure

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Frequency

zone typically occurs about five times per million words in modern written English.

zone is in frequency band 5, which contains words occurring between 1 and 10 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zone, v., 1790–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1790 | 0.23
1800 | 0.24
1810 | 0.26
1820 | 0.27
1830 | 0.29
1840 | 0.33
1850 | 0.38
1860 | 0.43
1870 | 0.45
1880 | 0.52
1890 | 0.61
1900 | 0.79
1910 | 1.2
1920 | 1.8
1930 | 2.7
1940 | 3.5
1950 | 4.4
1960 | 5.2
1970 | 5.6
1980 | 5.4
1990 | 4.7
2000 | 4.2
2010 | 4.0

### Frequency of zone, v., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 4.5
2018 | 4.5
2019 | 4.2
2020 | 4.1
2021 | 4.2
2022 | 4.6
2023 | 4.6
2024 | 4.6

## Compounds & derived words

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1. zoned, adj. 1662–
   Town Planning. Designated for a particular type…

1. zoning, n. a1821–
   (Town-)Planning. The regulation of land use by…

1. enzone, v. 1832–
   To engirdle.

1. zoning, adj. 1853–

1. rezone, v. 1917–
   transitive. To assign (land, property, etc.) to a…

1. upzone, v. 1952–
   transitive. To reclassify (an area, property…

1. downzone, v. 1957–
   transitive. To reclassify (an area, property…

1. zoner, n. 1962–
   One employed in the application of planning…

zone, v. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zone, v. was last modified in December 2024.