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Other

abyssal

Syllabification: (a·byss·al)
Pronunciation: /əˈbisəl/

Definition of abyssal

adjective

chiefly technical
  • relating to or denoting the depths or bed of the ocean, especially between about 10,000 and 20,000 feet (3,000 and 6,000 m) down:the genera found in the abyssal North Atlantic
  • Geologyanother term for plutonic (sense 1).

Origin:

mid 17th century: from late Latin abyssalis 'belonging to an abyss' (see abyss)

abyssal in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of abyssal in the British & World English dictionary