abyss
part of speech
noun (an abyss, abysses)
meaning for a pupil
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 →
sense 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).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «abyss» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.