a colorless gas (O3) soluble in alkalis and cold water; a strong oxidizing agent; can be produced by electric discharge in oxygen or by the action of ultraviolet radiation on oxygen in the stratosphere (where it acts as a screen for ultraviolet radiation)
"The layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun."
An allotrope of oxygen (symbol O₃) having three atoms in the molecule instead of the usual two; it is a toxic gas, generated from oxygen by electrical discharge.
"The ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation despite being a toxic gas formed when sunlight splits and rejoins oxygen molecules."
In plain English: Ozone is a type of gas made up of three oxygen atoms that protects Earth from harmful sunlight but can irritate your lungs if you breathe it too much near the ground.
"The ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays."
Usage: Ozone refers to a specific form of oxygen with three atoms per molecule that exists as an unstable gas. It forms naturally in the upper atmosphere but can also be created near the ground through electrical discharges like lightning or pollution.
To treat with ozone.
"The water was treated with ozone to eliminate harmful bacteria before it reached our taps."
The word "ozone" comes from the German term coined in 1840 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein, which he derived from Ancient Greek for its pungent smell. Although it originally described this sharp odor, a later mistaken belief that seaweed released the gas led to an incorrect association with fresh air.