Torrid Zone
- noun
- /ˈtɔrɪd zoʊn/
:
zona tórrida
- Travelers often seek out the Torrid Zone for its vibrant ecosystems and warm climates.
Examples
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Many species of plants and animals thrive in the harsh conditions of the Torrid Zone.
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The Torrid Zone is known for its scorching temperatures and abundant biodiversity.
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But the backwater societies of the Torrid Zone, it was argued, also held secrets that could revolutionize medical practice.
Academic text (2018) -
It was a sensible assumption that other hugely profitable plants awaited discovery in the Torrid Zone.
Academic text (2018)
Synonyms
2
2.9
A hot, humid region of Earth near the equator where rainforests grow
1
3.5
The part of Earth near the equator that is hot all year
How Hot
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'torrid' means very hot and 'zone' means a region, so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a hot region (in geography, the area between the tropics). This adjective+noun formation is a standard, cross-linguistically transparent pattern and therefore accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Torrid Zone comes from old mapmakers who used torrid to mean 'very hot' and zone to mean 'an area'. They gave this name to the middle band of the Earth, so it now means the hot region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.