zonedhttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoned_adj%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezoned, adj.
First published 1921; not fully revised

zonedadjective

  1. 1.
    1662
    † Located in a zone or region of the celestial sphere: = zonic adj. Obsolete. rare.
    1. 1662
      Or else, by fiery Zone, he means the seat of the zoned Deities just above the Empyreal or corporeal Heaven.
      T. Stanley, History of Chaldaick Philosophy 4
  2. 2.
    1726–
    Wearing a zone or girdle. Hence, virgin, chaste.
    1. 1726
      Fair-zon'd damsels.
      W. Broome in A. Pope et al., translation of Homer, Odyssey vol. V. xxiii. 142
    2. 1829
      A zoned and untainted innocence.
      E. Bulwer-Lytton, Devereux vol. I. ii. ix. 244
    1. 3.a.
      1794–
      Characterized by or arranged (naturally) in zones, rings, or bands.
      1. 1794
        The zoned or tabulated form of the onyx.
        R. J. Sulivan, View of Nature vol. I. 435
      2. 1816
        A Crystal is..Zoned..when a row of facets is arranged around the middle part, thus forming a kind of zone or girdle. Example, Zoned calcareous-spar.
        R. Jameson, Treatise on External Characters of Minerals (ed. 2) 208
      3. 1845
        As a fifth source of variety [in wood] may be mentioned eyes, zoned spots, and curls.
        G. Dodd, British Manufactures 4th Series 200
    2. 3.b.
      1792–
      Marked with zones, circles, or bands of colour.
      1. 1792
        Auricularia ferruginea,..zoned above.
        W. Withering, British Plants (ed. 2) vol. III. 433
      2. 1805
        The Zoned Parrot.
        G. Shaw, Vivarium Naturæ, or Naturalist’ s Misc. vol. XVI. pl. 657
      3. 1849
        Zoned tetraspores exist in Rhod [ymenia] ciliata.
        W. H. Harvey, British Marine Algæ 121
      4. 1874
        With side handles of zoned alabaster.
        S. Birch, 1st & 2nd Egypt. Rooms British Museum 31
    1. 4.a.
      1795–
      Arranged according to zones or definite regions.
      1. 1795
        A zoned catalogue of the stars.
        W. Herschel in Philosophical Transactions (Royal Society) vol. 85 384
      2. 1890
        The spectra of the great nebulæ, like those of the ‘zoned’ stars, must be considered as integrating the results of emanations taking their rise under notably diverse circumstances.
        A. M. Clerke, System of Stars v. 80
    2. 4.b.
      1943–
      Distributed according to zones. Cf. zone v. 5.
      1. 1943
        Compelling some grocers to buy their zoned cake through the co-ops.
        Daily Express 16 September 3/3
  3. 5.
    1921–
    Town Planning. Designated for a particular type of use or development. Originally U.S.
    1. 1921
      A penalty is provided for violation of said ordinance with a mandate prohibiting departments of the city from issuing permits for erection of the forbidden buildings within such zoned district.
      Michigan Rep. vol. 210 210
    2. 1939
      Zoned residential, business, and industrial districts.
      Florida: Guide to Southernmost State (Federal Writers' Project) iii. 396
    3. 1970
      Paarl shopping centre. On 11000 sq. ft., zoned special business with free car park..in fast developing area.
      Cape Times 28 October 20/3 (advertisement)

Additional sense (2002)

  1. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). [Perhaps influenced by ozoned adj., zonked adj., or stoned adj.; though compare spaced adj.] Also with out.
    1. a.
      1971–
      Of a person: intoxicated by drugs or alcohol; (in extended use) characteristic of a person in such a state; weird, offbeat, surreal. Cf. zonked adj. 1.
      1. 1971
        Zoned, drunk.
        Current Slang (University South Dakota) vol. 6 11
      2. 1982
        A well-turned hour of live, zoned-out comedy, which featured everything from Belushi to Bartok and raised the question, ‘Did the dinosaurs build Stonehenge?’.
        Time (Nexis) 4 January 86
      3. 1985
        A few are so doped they're zombies... You just about have to set a cherry bomb off under them to get their heads up because they're all zoned out.
        U.S. News & World Report 1 April 68/2
      4. 1987
        He was zoned, hung over, and exhausted already, and the contemplation of sex brought only unbearable images that quenched any desire.
        N. Spinrad, Little Heroes 332
      5. 1991
        Peppered with howler cameos, ranging from Deborah Harry's metallic-beehive moan with a screeching nails-on-a-blackboard voice to Pia Zadora's zoned-out hippie.
        Boston Globe 27 December (Living section) 48/5
      6. 1994
        Movies today can offer nothing to compare with the sight of sloe-eyed MM, stuffed into a skintight dress, lazily singing ‘Kiss’, as if she's zoned on downers.
        Movieline January 88/2
      7. 2000
        My mouth is dry and I'm zoned on hairy.
        M. Hamid, Moth Smoke xiii. 232
    2. b.
      1980–
      Of a person: exhausted, burnt out; unresponsive, detached. Cf. zonked adj. 2.
      1. 1980
        Zoned,..blitzed, exhausted, burned out.
        L. Birnbach et al., Official Preppy Handbook 223/2
      2. 1981
        Parents are quick to imitate their young and can be heard to exclaim they are ‘really psyched’ (carried away) or perhaps ‘zoned’ (exhausted).
        Daily Telegraph 20 February 17/2
      3. 1988
        You're zoned, Dad... It means you'll never be up on the current slang.
        Sun (Brisbane) 30 November (Comics section) 41
      4. 1993
        I've asked Bob Hope questions nobody else would..and there's no way of telling if he's just avoided answering them or he's too zoned out to understand.
        H. Stern, Private Parts vi. 191
      5. 1996
        As a result, a growing concern was that we were in danger of becoming a nation of zoned-out ‘couch potatoes’.
        G. Scott, Can we Talk? ix. 223

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

zoned, adj. was last modified in March 2024.