- an area in a body of water, especially an ocean, having oxygen levels that are not adequate to support life: shellfish threatened by an annual dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
- dead spot (def. 1).
- a period or place where there is little activity or excitement: A dead zone for home sales is November and December.
- an area of water that cannot support marine life, being virtually devoid of oxygen due to the presence of nitrates that stimulate algae growth
- an area where a mobile phone does not receive a signal
- any area where something does not exist or prosper
