Timezone

/ˈtaɪmˌzoʊn/ noun

Definition

One of the regions of the world that uses the same standard clock time. Time zones are based on longitude and help coordinate time across the Earth.

Etymology

A modern compound of 'time' and 'zone,' first used in the late 19th century when railroads and telegraphs made standard time necessary. Before that, towns kept their own local time based on the sun. Time zones divided the globe into slices sharing one official time.

Kelly Says

Time zones are human inventions, not natural laws—before trains and phones, every town basically had its own 'time.' Now your phone constantly negotiates with satellites and servers to pick the right slice of global time. The word shows how technology forced us to redraw the day itself.

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