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continental shelf

con·ti·nen·tal shelf
C c

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [kon-tn-en-tl shelf]
    • /ˌkɒn tnˈɛn tl ʃɛlf/
    • /ˈkɒn.tɪ.nənt ʃelf/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kon-tn-en-tl shelf]
    • /ˌkɒn tnˈɛn tl ʃɛlf/

Definitions of continental shelf words

  • uncountable noun continental shelf The continental shelf is the area which forms the edge of a continent, ending in a steep slope to the depths of the ocean. 3
  • noun continental shelf the sea bed surrounding a continent at depths of up to about 200 metres (100 fathoms), at the edge of which the continental slope drops steeply to the ocean floor 3
  • noun continental shelf a submerged shelf of land that begins at a continental shoreline, slopes downward gradually at an angle of about 0.1° for a variable distance, and ends at the top of a much steeper downward slope (continental slope) at an angle of about 3° to 6° until it reaches the ocean floor: at the outer edge of the shelf the depth of the ocean is usually between about 90 m (300 ft) and 180 m (600 ft) 3
  • noun continental shelf the part of a continent that is submerged in relatively shallow sea. 1
  • noun continental shelf (nautical) The area of sea around a land mass where the depth gradually increases before it plunges into the ocean deeps. 0
See all 5 definitions of continental shelf

Information block about the term

Origin of continental shelf

First appearance:

before 1940
One of the 7% newest English words
First recorded in 1940-45

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Continental shelf

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Continental shelf

continental shelf popularity

This term is known only to a narrow circle of people with rare knowledge. Only 3% of English native speakers know the meaning of this word.
According to our data most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.

continental shelf usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for continental shelf

noun continental shelf

  • territorial waters — law: nation's boundaries
  • three-mile limit — the limit of the marine belt of three miles (4.8 km), which is included within the jurisdiction of the state possessing the coast.
  • continental slope — a steep slope separating a continental shelf and a deep ocean basin.
  • land bridge — Geology. an actual or hypothetical strip of land, subject to submergence, that connects adjacent continental landmasses and serves as a route of dispersal for plants and animals: a prehistoric land bridge between Asia and North America.
  • twelve-mile limit — the offshore boundary of a state, extending 12 miles (19 km) at sea.
All 5 Synonyms of continental shelf

See also

Matching words

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