abyss

Everyday

1. An abyss is a very deep hole or gap in the ground, so deep it seems to have no bottom. tree →
2. (literary) An abyss is a terrible situation or a huge difference that seems impossible to cross. tree →
3. (science) The abyss is the deepest, darkest part of the ocean. tree →

In the lessons

Old stories and adventure tales use «abyss» for scary drops in mountains or under the sea. Scientists call the deep sea floor the abyssal zone, where it is cold and dark and strange fish live. Phrases: «stare into the abyss», «on the edge of an abyss».

Examples

• The climbers looked down into the dark abyss. tree →
• A rope bridge hung over the abyss. tree →
• Strange glowing fish live in the abyss of the ocean. tree →
• Alice wondered if she was falling into a bottomless abyss. tree →
• The country was close to the abyss of war. tree →
• No light reaches the abyss at the bottom of the sea. tree →
• The dragon's cave opened onto a black abyss. tree →
• The youth ran to look at it, and saw that a huge abyss had opened below the stone. tree →

Note

Pronounced «a-BISS». Plural abysses. Adjective abysmal means «very bad» (an abysmal score), and abyssal means «of the deep sea». Do not confuse with «abbess» (the head of a convent of nuns).

In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah it is one of the ten directions or depths; the word used is the Hebrew for "depth."

Interpretation. The text counts a depth of good and a depth of evil among the ten dimensions through which God made the world.

Examples

• Abyss ; the word is OUMQ for OMQ, a depth, vastness, or valley. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• sunk in the abyss, whence water comes forth. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →
• refers to viscous stones, sunk in the abyss, whence water comes (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Pronounced «a-BISS». Plural abysses. Adjective abysmal means «very bad» (an abysmal score), and abyssal means «of the deep sea». Do not confuse with «abbess» (the head of a convent of nuns).