abysm

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English abime, from Old French abisme from Late Latin *abyssimus, a superlative of abyssus (“bottomless pit”), from Ancient Greek ἄβυσσος (ábussos). Cognate to French abîme. See also abyss. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈæbɪzəm/, /əˈbɪzəm/ Rhymes: -ɪzəm === Noun === abysm (plural abysms) (archaic, poetic) Hell; the infernal pit; the great deep; the primal chaos. [from between 1150 and 1350] (now chiefly literary) An abyss; a gulf, a chasm, a very deep hole. [from late 15th century] ==== Alternative forms ==== abime, abyme ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === “abysm”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. === Anagrams === Byams