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Glite Dictionary
ozone hole

ozone hole

4 4.6
A thin area high above the Earth near the poles where a protective gas becomes very low
  • noun
  • /ˈoʊzoʊn hoʊl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : agujero de ozono
  • 29. As another example, global warming came to public attention only after stratospheric ozone depletion ("the ozone hole") was discovered.
  • Antarctic ozone hole
  • ozone hole over Antarctica
  • ozone hole was discovered

Examples

  • The Montreal Protocol was an international effort to deal with what was once a growing ozone hole.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Another factor may be the ozone hole that opens up at this time every year over the South Pole.

    Blog text (26)

  • I think the most curious thing about the ozone hole is why only in September and October?

  • Therefore, in order to reverse and repair the ozone hole, the United States must take an active lead.

    Academic text (1991)

  • How does the austral spring ozone hole form due to sunlight?

    Blog text (26)

  • The scientists predict the ozone hole will not start shrinking a lot until 2018.

    Blog text (30)

  • Researchers have identified the formation of these clouds as the main cause of the ozone hole over Antarctica.

    Academic text (1991)

  • New theory predicts the largest ozone hole over Antarctica will occur this month.

    Blog text (2)

  • The ozone hole was discovered through ground-based observations at the British Halley Bay Station.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Scientists are concerned about the effects of the ozone hole, which has expanded significantly over Antarctica.

Surface Forms

ozone hole singular
ozone holes plural

Morphology

ozone + hole

The meaning 'an area lacking or depleted in ozone' is directly and compositionally derived from 'ozone' (the atmospheric gas) + 'hole' (an opening/absence); there is no idiomatic shift. This construction is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'agujero de ozono', French 'trou dans la couche d'ozone'), so a B1 learner who knows both words would reasonably infer the MWE's basic meaning.

Etymology

Ozone hole comes from scientists' images that showed a large thin area in the layer of ozone above Earth, so it looked like a 'hole' in that protective layer. That's why the phrase means a place where there is much less ozone and more harmful sunlight reaches the ground.