abyssal plain

American  

[uh-bis-uhl pleyn] / əˈbɪs əl ˈpleɪn /

noun

1. Oceanography. any of various large, level areas of the ocean floor, occurring at depths of more than 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and covered with a thick layer of sediment.

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Etymology

Origin of abyssal plain

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

A group of British scientists is currently surveying species on the abyssal plain in the eastern Pacific.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2024

The CCZ is a vast abyssal plain slightly larger than the European Union, situated between Mexico and Hawaii, dotted with rocky outcrops and seamounts.

From Scientific American • Aug. 15, 2023

Standing on a ridge several thousand feet underwater, peering out to the ocean’s abyssal plain, you would see almost nothing.

From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2020

But its abyssal plain is also a garden of exotic life forms.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 14, 2019

Abyssal sedimentary rocks form on the abyssal plain.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017