| the offshore zone, consisting of the continental shelf, slope, and rise, that separates the dry-land portion of a continent from the deep ocean floor. |
| Main Entry: | continental margin |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | the offshore zone, consisting of the continental rise, shelf, and slope that separates the land of a continent from the deep ocean floor; the ocean floor from the continental slope to the abyssal plain |
| Usage: | geology |