In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
ABYSS
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
Etymology
Noun
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.
Usage notes
• (impending catastrophic happening): It is typically preceded by the word the.
Synonyms
• (difference): gulf
Anagrams
• 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
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
28 March 2025
HOST
(noun) a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
Coffee Trivia
