Chasms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A deep, narrow opening in the ground or a rock formation ; a significant separation or division between groups or concepts that causes difficulty or conflict
2. A steep-sided cleft or gorge in the earth or a solid substance ; an intense disparity or rift that divides opinions, beliefs, or emotions
3. An excavation or opening that extends deeply into land or material ; a serious gap or break in understanding or relationships among individuals or groups

Etymology: The plural "chasms" counts more than one "chasm," which comes from Latin "chasma," itself taken from Greek "khasma," meaning "abyss" or "cleft." The Greek sense was literal: a gaping split in the earth or rock. English once had its own words for such openings. Old English "swelh" and "elh" were displaced by the Greek-derived term, so the native vocabulary for a deep gap was replaced rather than kept alongside it. The word is a close relative of "schism," a split or division, and both carry the idea of something cleaving apart.

Synonyms: gorges, canyons, ravines

Antonyms: plains, flatlands