azonal
|a-zo-nal|
🇺🇸
/eɪˈzoʊnəl/
🇬🇧
/eɪˈzəʊnəl/
not showing zonation
Etymology
'azonal' originates from the Greek privative prefix 'a-' combined with 'zonal'. 'zonal' ultimately comes from Latin 'zona' (from Greek 'zōnē'), where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'zōnē' meant 'belt'.
'zone' was borrowed from Greek 'zōnē' into Latin as 'zona' and via Old French into English; the adjective 'zonal' developed from that root in English, and 'azonal' was formed by prefixing the Greek privative 'a-' to 'zonal'.
Initially the elements conveyed simply 'not' + 'belt/zone'; in modern scientific usage the word has narrowed to mean specifically 'not exhibiting zonation' or 'not confined to geographic/climatic zones'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not zonal; not showing or confined to distinct zones (used especially in geology, ecology, meteorology to describe patterns that do not follow latitudinal or zonal organization).
The vegetation on the rocky slopes is azonal, determined more by soil type than by latitude.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/07 19:50