The steep descent of the seabed from the continental shelf to the abyssal zone.

synonyms: bathyal district, bathyal zone.

Roget 343: land covered with water, gulf, gulph^†, bay, inlet, bight, estuary, arm of the sea, bayou [U.S.], fiord, armlet; frith^†, firth, ostiary^†, mouth; lagune^†, lagoon; indraught^†; cove, creek; natural harbor; roads; strait; narrows; Euripus; sound, belt, gut, kyles^†; continental slope, continental shelf.    lake, loch, lough^†, mere, tarn, plash, broad, pond, pool, lin^†, puddle, slab, well, artesian well; standing water, dead water, sheet of water; fish pond, mill pond; ditch, dike, dyke, dam; reservoir etc. (store) 636; alberca^†, barachois^†, hog wallow [U.S.].    ... show more

Polish: batial, skłon kontynentalny, strefa batialna