twilight zone

English

Etymology 1

Because such a zone (in the literal sense of the term) is twilit; see twilight § Etymology.

Noun

twilight zone (plural twilight zones)

1. (astronomy, astrophysics) A moving line that divides the daylit side and the dark night side of a planetary body.

   Synonym: terminator

   Coordinate term: greyline

2. (by extension) A region or context located in between others and therefore not subject to their norms.

   Synonym: shadowland

   • 1911, Case and Comment:

     As to this right, therefore, the people have expressly created a twilight zone, in which neither nation nor state can act.

   • 1978, Cornelius Cole Smith, Fort Huachuca: The Story of a Frontier Post:

     They were interesting because they represented a sort of twilight zone separating the "old days" from modern times.

   • 1999, Grant Gilmore, Security Interests in Personal Property:

     ...the classification scheme related to goods which lay in a "twilight zone" between consumer goods and equipment or between inventory and farm products.

   • 2006, Charles C Marshall, The Roman Catholic Church in the Modern State:

     But is there not a twilight zone over which both Church and State put forth claims?

3. (geography) A deteriorating area surrounding a central business district.
   • 2012, George Sternlieb, James W. Hughes, Shopping Centers: U.S.A., page 52:

     Geographically speaking, the twilight zone encompasses those areas that lie between the central business district and the first ring of suburban shopping centers, many of which are comparatively obsolete.

Translations

region or context located in between others

• German: Grauzone (de) f

See also

• (physical): crepuscular
• (figurative): grey area

Verb

twilight zone (third-person singular simple present twilight zones, present participle twilight zoning, simple past and past participle twilight zoned)

1. To put or place into an indeterminate position; to be in an ambiguous, undetermined, or improper context.
   • 1989, Jack Kendall, Playing for Keeps:

     Sometimes I think she's really a gym teacher twilight-zoned into the corridors of government. I'm always surprised to see that it's a gold, clipless Cross pen she's carrying and not a gym whistle.

2. (transitive) To cause to daydream or zone out; to cause to lose attention to one's surroundings.
   • 1997, James Patterson, Cat & Mouse:

     "I've been distant and into myself all night," I said. "The kids say I get twilight zoned."

Etymology 2

From the anthology television series The Twilight Zone, first aired in 1959, whose name was inspired by the astrophysical sense.

Noun

twilight zone (plural twilight zones)

1. (figuratively) A region in which surreal, supernatural, or fantastic events occur.
   • 1996 Christopher Lloyd, "Mixed Doubles," Frasier, Season 4, Episode 6 (originally aired 19 November 1996), spoken by Martin Crane (John Mahoney)

     Oh, I can't talk right now, Duke. I'm in the twilight zone.

   • 1998, Eric Chaisson, The Hubble wars: astrophysics meets astropolitics in the two-billion-dollar struggle over the Hubble Space Telescope, Harvard University Press, page 337:

     Ground controllers were uncertain for some agonizing hours what had happened to the spacecraft [...] "We have entered the twilight zone," dead-panned one jaded engineer.

   • 2009, Steve Sisgold, What's Your Body Telling You?: Listening To Your Body's Signals to Stop Anxiety, Erase Self-Doubt and Achieve True Wellness, McGraw-Hill Professional, page 103:

     Suddenly, to her astonishment and mine, it turned black and blue! I wondered if we'd just entered the twilight zone.

Verb

twilight zone (third-person singular simple present twilight zones, present participle twilight zoning, simple past and past participle twilight zoned)

1. (intransitive) To experience or perceive something bizarre or fantastic.
   • 2016, Bill Roddey, Making ID TV's 'Too Pretty to Live' Crime Show Starring Me:

     Then a gnome like white haired lady, bent like a human question mark, lurched toward me and asked if I was the mailman. [...] I was Twilight Zoning.

2. (intransitive) To behave or occur in a confusing or unexpected manner.
   • 2011, David H., Beddington Registry Service review, Yelp:

     The service is likely from a bad twilight zone episode. [...] I did get what I required but I had to ask lots of questions as the communication was Twilight Zoning often.