twilight zone
- noun
- /ˈtwaɪlaɪt zoʊn/
- Specialized
:
zona crepuscular
- Scientists are studying the twilight zone to understand how it affects the global carbon cycle.
Examples
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Some fish migrate daily from the twilight zone to feed near the surface at night.
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Many deep-sea creatures in the twilight zone have adapted to the low levels of sunlight.
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The fish in the twilight zone are adapted to low light.
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Many species live in the twilight zone of the ocean.
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Marine biologists study the unique organisms that thrive in the twilight zone of the ocean.
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The twilight zone is crucial for understanding how light and nutrients impact marine ecosystems.
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Explorers often encounter unexpected species when diving into the twilight zone beneath the waves.
How Deep
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'twilight' (dusk / faint light) with 'zone' (a region), so its meaning as a region characterized by faint light is directly and compositionally derivable from the parts. Although 'twilight' can also have a figurative sense ('state of decline'), the light/dusk sense is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely understand this MWE.
Etymology
The ocean term twilight zone was named after twilight because this part of the sea gets only faint sunlight, like the dim light at dusk. That's why it means 'the layer of the ocean where only a little light reaches'.