Word
ozone
US/ˈoʊˌzoʊn/
UK/ˈəʊzəʊn/
Definitions
01atmospheric gas
n. a form of oxygen that forms a layer high in the sky, protecting the Earth from the sun's dangerous rays.
n. an allotrope of oxygen (O₃) found in the stratosphere that absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.
“Scientists are worried about the hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic.”
“The Montreal Protocol was designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances responsible for its depletion.”
Technical
Usage
Usually used as an uncountable noun; frequently appears in the compound 'ozone layer'.
02fresh seaside air
n. fresh, clean air, especially the kind you breathe when you are at the beach.
n. fresh, bracing air, particularly that found at the seaside and associated with the smell of the ocean.
“We went for a walk along the cliffs to breathe in some of that healthy ozone.”
“After a week in the smoggy city, the crisp seaside ozone was a welcome relief for the travellers.”
British English · Informal
Teaching tip
This sense is based on a historical misconception that the smell of the sea was ozone; it is now used figuratively to mean 'bracing air'.
Synonyms
03to treat with gas
v. to clean or treat something using ozone gas.
v. to subject to the action of ozone, typically for the purpose of purification or bleaching.
“The company uses a special machine to ozone the water and kill bacteria.”
“The facility began to ozone the wastewater as a final stage of treatment to ensure all organic contaminants were neutralised.”
Technical
Usage
A transitive verb requiring a direct object.
Real-World Examples
“Ozone has always been an issue in Connecticut because smog blows northeast from New York City.” “These results suggest that vehicle exhaust and other pollutants are the main sources of ground-level ozone in the region.” Etymology
From German Ozon, coined 1840 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein, from Ancient Greek ὄζον (ózon), neuter participle of ὄζω (ózō, “I smell”), in reference to its pungent odour. The “fresh air” sense is from an erroneous former belief that seaweed contains and releases ozone.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/ozone