abyss, abysm
(noun) a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
abyss (plural abysses)
Hell; the bottomless pit; primeval chaos; a confined subterranean ocean. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
(frequently, figurative) A bottomless or unfathomed depth, gulf, or chasm; hence, any deep, immeasurable; any void space. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
Anything infinite, immeasurable, or profound. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
Moral depravity; vast intellectual or moral depth.
An impending catastrophic happening.
(heraldry) The center of an escutcheon.
(oceanography) The abyssal zone.
(figurative) A difference, especially a large difference, between groups.
• (impending catastrophic happening): It is typically preceded by the word the.
• (difference): gulf
• bassy
Source: Wiktionary
A*byss", n. Etym: [L. abyssus a bottomless gulf, fr. Gr.
1. A bottomless or unfathomed depth, gulf, or chasm; hence, any deep, immeasurable, and, specifically, hell, or the bottomless pit. Ye powers and spirits of this nethermost abyss. Milton. The throne is darkness, in the abyss of light. Dryden.
2. Infinite time; a vast intellectual or moral depth. The abysses of metaphysical theology. Macaulay. In unfathomable abysses of disgrace. Burke.
3. (Her.)
Definition: The center of an escutcheon.
Note: This word, in its leading uses, is associated with the cosmological notions of the Hebrews, having reference to a supposed illimitable mass of waters from which our earth sprung, and beneath whose profound depths the wicked were punished. Encyc. Brit.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
22 February 2025
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’
Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species. When coffee berries turn from green to bright red – indicating ripeness – they are picked, processed, and dried. Dried coffee seeds are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor.
