ozone

ozone — noun

1. a kind of oxygen with three atoms that can harm people near the ground but helps

1.nounC1
Definition

a kind of oxygen with three atoms that can harm people near the ground but helps block harmful rays high above the earth.

Example

Hot afternoons often bring high ozone levels across the city.

collocation: high ozone levels

The weather app warned runners about ozone near the ground.

pattern: ozone near the ground

Common collocations
  • high ozone levels
  • ground-level ozone
  • ozone pollution
  • the ozone layer
Synonyms
  • O3

    the scientific formula, used in technical writing rather than normal conversation

  • ozone gas

    a fuller phrase used when speakers want to make the substance explicit

  • ground-level ozone

    specifically the harmful ozone close to the earth's surface

Grammar Patterns

ozone levels rise/fall

high ozone near the ground

ozone in the upper atmosphere

Usage Note

Usually uncountable and often mentioned in reports as a measured level rather than as a simple substance name. Distinguish harmful ground-level ozone from the protective ozone higher in the atmosphere.

Common Mistakes

Ozone is the gas we breathe every day.
Oxygen is the gas we breathe every day.
ozone is a different form of oxygen, and too much of it near the ground is harmful.

2. fresh, pleasant air, especially the kind people notice at the seaside.

2.nounC2
Definition

fresh, pleasant air, especially the kind people notice at the seaside.

Example

Grandpa said the morning ozone made the beach walk worth it.

old-fashioned seaside use

After a week in Taipei, Mia wanted some ozone by the sea.

pattern: some ozone by the sea

Common collocations
  • morning ozone
  • some ozone by the sea
  • let in ozone
  • enjoy the ozone
Synonyms
  • fresh air

    the normal everyday expression for clean outdoor air

  • sea air

    the closest modern phrase, clearly tied to the seaside

  • breeze

    emphasizes moving air, not simply its clean smell

Antonyms
  • stale air

    air that feels old and not fresh

  • smog

    dirty outdoor air rather than clean, refreshing air

Grammar Patterns

some ozone by the sea

let in the ozone

enjoy the ozone

Usage Note

Usually found in older or literary descriptions, especially of places near the sea. In everyday modern English, most speakers would say 'fresh air' or 'sea air' instead.

Common Mistakes

We went outside for some ozone in the park.
We went outside for some fresh air in the park.
this sense is old-fashioned and usually suggests air from the seaside.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, ozone is a technical word, not a general everyday one. Do not confuse it with oxygen: oxygen is the normal gas in the air, while ozone is a three-atom form of oxygen. Smog means dirty air made from several pollutants; ozone can be one part of smog, but the two words are not equal. Pollution is broader still, because it names the overall problem, not this specific gas. The ozone layer is also related but different: it means the high part of the atmosphere where ozone collects. Say 'High ozone kept children indoors today,' but 'The ozone layer helps block harmful rays.'

oxygen ↗smog ↗pollution ↗ozone layer

Etymology

GreekGermanEnglish

English borrowed ozone in the 1800s from German Ozon. That German word was built from Greek ozein, meaning 'to smell', because the gas has a strong smell.