Ca·nal Zone 
(kə-năl) also Pan·a·ma Canal Zone (pănə-mä′)
(kə-năl) also Pan·a·ma Canal Zone (pănə-mä′) Abbr. CZ
A strip of land, about 16 km (10 mi) wide, across the Isthmus of Panama. Formerly administered by the United States for the operation of the Panama Canal, it was turned over to Panama in 1979.