abyssal

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The Word of the Day for December 2 is: 

abyssal   \uh-BISS-ul\   adjective
     1 : impossible to comprehend : unfathomable 
    *2 : of or relating to the bottom waters of the ocean depths 

Example sentence:
     Scientists have discovered remarkable creatures living in the abyssal 
depths of the sea.

Did you know?
     "Abyssal" is a relatively infrequently used word, though it?s derived from 
the more prevalent noun, "abyss." In contrast, the adjective "abysmal" is more 
common than its corresponding noun "abysm." All four terms descend from the 
Late Latin word "abyssus," which is in turn derived from the Greek "abyssos" 
("bottomless"). "Abyss" and "abysm" are synonymous (both can refer to the 
mythical bottomless pit in old accounts of the universe or can be used more 
broadly in reference to any immeasurably deep gulf), but the adjectives 
"abyssal" and "abysmal" are not used identically. "Abyssal" can mean 
"incomprehensible," but it?s most often found in contexts referring to the 
bottom of the sea. "Abysmal" shares the oceanographic sense with "abyssal," but 
it more frequently means "immeasurably deep" or "absolutely wretched."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. 





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