abyss
[ uh-bis ]
/ əˈbɪs /
noun
a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
anything profound, unfathomable, or infinite: the abyss of time.
(in ancient cosmogony)
- the primal chaos before Creation.
- the infernal regions; hell.
- a subterranean ocean.
Nearby words
aby, abydos, abyla, abysm, abysmal, abyss, abyss., abyssal, abyssinia, abyssinian, abyssinian banana
Origin of abyss
1350–1400; earlier abisse, Middle English abissus < Late Latin abyssus < Greek ábyssos bottomless, equivalent to a- a-6 + byssós bottom of the sea
Definition for abyss (2 of 2)
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for abyss
British Dictionary definitions for abyss
abyss
/ (əˈbɪs) /
noun
a very deep or unfathomable gorge or chasm
anything that appears to be endless or immeasurably deep, such as time, despair, or shame
hell or the infernal regions conceived of as a bottomless pit
Word Origin for abyss
C16: via Late Latin from Greek abussos bottomless (as in the phrase abussos limnē bottomless lake), from a- 1 + bussos depth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for abyss
abyss
late 14c., earlier abime (c.1300, from a form in Old French), from Late Latin abyssus "bottomless pit," from Greek abyssos (limne) "bottomless (pool)," from a- "without" (see a- (2)) + byssos "bottom," possibly related to bathos "depth."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper