English

Adjective

abyssal ‎(not comparable)

1. (archaic) Belonging to, or resembling, an abyss; unfathomable. [First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[1]
2. (geography) Of or belonging to the ocean depths, especially below 2000 metres (6500 ft): abyssal zone. [First attested in the mid 19^th century.]^[1]
3. (geology) Pertaining to or occurring at excessive depths in the earth's crust; plutonic. [First attested in the late 19^th century.]^[1]

Translations

Derived terms

• abyssally
• abyssal fish
• abyssal plain (physical geography)
• abyssal zone (physical geography)

See also

• byssal

References

1. 1 2 3 4 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 11
2. ↑ Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], ISBN 0-394-43600-8), page 7
3. ↑ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], ISBN 0-87779-101-5), page 9

• abyssal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

French

Adjective

abyssal m ‎(feminine singular abyssale, masculine plural abyssaux, feminine plural abyssales)

1. abyssal

Derived terms

• plaine abyssale