zone
The word “zone” is used when referring to areas, large or small.
- She parked in the no-parking zone and her car was towed away.
- A receiver caught the ball in the end zone. (This area of the field in American football is where points are scored.)
- Which time zone do you live in? I live in the central time zone in the United States.
- A special zone was created for people who wanted to protest the government.
- A violent tornado ripped through the city and afterwards it looked like a war zone.*
- The company broke the zoning laws and had to pay a fine to the city. (The word “zoning” is an adjective.)
Points are scored when the ball reaches the end zone.
When the word “zone” is a verb, it refers to areas designated for certain purposes:
- That area is zoned for commercial use only. People can’t live there.
- How is this area zoned?
- The city zoned the neighborhood to allow both residential and commercial activity to coexist.
*war zone: an area where a war or a battle is fought.