zone [LME] Zone is from Greek zōnē, ‘girdle’. It was first used to refer to each of the five belts or encircling regions (differentiated by climate) into which the surface of the earth is divided by the tropics. From this early use, the word came to be applied to various areas defined by certain boundaries or subject to certain restrictions. In the zone for a state of perfect concentration dates from the 1970s.