zonalhttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zonal_adj%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezonal, adj.
First published 1921; not fully revised

zonaladjective

    1. 1.a.
      1873–
      Characterized by or arranged in zones, circles, or rings; of the nature of or forming a zone.
      1. 1873
        In ‘zonal’ symmetry the merosomes are arranged in zones, one after another, in a longitudinal axis.
        A. Wilson, Elements of Zoology i. ii. 22
      2. 1888
        The small spherical crystalline aggregates show..a concentric zonal structure.
        F. Rutley, Rock-forming Minerals 124
    2. 1.b.
      1868–
      Marked with zones or circular bands of colour: applied to varieties of pelargonium or geranium having the leaves so marked.
      1. 1868
        The cultivators of zonal pelargoniums, or variegated leaf-coloured geraniums, had a grand competition.
        Morning Star 17 June
      2. 1908
        The zonal geranium.
        Nation 22 February 756/2
  1. 2.
    1867–
    Mathematics and Crystallography. Relating to a zone or zones of a sphere, or of a crystalline form: see zone n. 8.
    1. 1867
      These circles..are..all in parallel planes..and cut the spherical surface into zones, in which case the harmonic is called zonal.
      W. Thomson & P. G. Tait, Treatise on Natural Philosophy vol. I. §781
  2. 3.
    1882–
    Pertaining or relating to, involving, or constituting a ‘zone’ or ‘zones’, i.e. regions or areas distinctively characterized in some way: see zone n. 2b, 7.
    1. 1882
      The six zonal areas we have thus described will serve our purpose admirably for grouping together our Seaside Health-Resorts.
      Knowledge 7 July 92
    2. 1890
      Zonal divisions are based upon these bogus species and conclusions drawn from them.
      Nature 4 September 454/2
    3. 1893
      In tracing the zonal parallelism of the Triassic succession within the Alps themselves.
      A. Geikie, Text-book of Geology (ed. 3) vi.iii. i. 876
    4. 1904
      The study..of strata characterised by the dominance of a zone-fossil forms zonal geology.
      Edinburgh Review January 219
    5. 1909
      The companies adopted a zonal tariff (as the State has done for telephone purposes).
      Spectator 29 May 856/2
  3. 4.
    1908–
    Soil Science. [< French zonal (N. Sibirtsev 1897, in Compt. Rend. de la VIIe. Session, Congr. géol. internat. (1899) II. iii. v. 80).] Of a soil: regarded as characteristic of a particular climatic or geographic zone and as reflecting the predominant influence of the climate in its formation.
    1. 1908
      The seven fundamental groups of ‘zonal’ soils just enumerated are spread over the surface of large continents in zones which coincide with the physico-geographical zones of those continents.
      Journal Agric. Science vol. 3 84
    2. 1927
      Intrazonal soils originate, according to Sibirceff, where local soil forming forces predominate over the general or zonal forces.
      C. F. Marbut, translation of K. D. Glinka, Great Soil Groups 28
    3. 1952
      In these cases the influence of the material from which the soil is formed overrides that of the climate giving rise to so-called azonal soils (in contrast to the climatic or zonal types).
      P. W. Richards, Tropical Rain Forest ix. 210
    4. 1972
      Apart from being an over-simplification of reality, the zonal system had the unfortunate effect of restricting, in the mind of the student, the distribution of each zonal soil within the limits of its climatic zone.
      J. G. Cruickshank, Soil Geography iv. 110

zonal, adj. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zonal, adj. was last modified in July 2023.