Word Study
chasm
CIDE DICTIONARY
chasm, n. [L. chasma, Gr. cha`sma, fr. chai`nein to gape, to open wide. See Chaos.].
- A deep opening made by disruption, as a breach in the earth or a rock; a yawning abyss; a cleft; a fissure. [1913 Webster]"That deep, romantic chasm which slanted down the green hill." [1913 Webster]
- A void space; a gap or break, as in ranks of men. [1913 Webster]"Memory . . . fills up the chasms of thought." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
chasm, n.
1 a deep fissure or opening in the earth, rock, etc.
2 a wide difference of feeling, interests, etc.; a gulf.
3 archaic a hiatus.
1 a deep fissure or opening in the earth, rock, etc.
2 a wide difference of feeling, interests, etc.; a gulf.
3 archaic a hiatus.
Derivative
chasmic adj.
Etymology
L chasma f. Gk khasma gaping hollow
THESAURUS
chasm
abysm, abyss, aperture, arroyo, blank, box canyon, breach, break, broaching, canyon, cavity, chap, check, chimney, chink, clearing, cleavage, cleft, cleuch, clough, clove, col, coulee, couloir, crack, cranny, crater, crevasse, crevice, cut, cwm, deep, defile, dell, depth, dig, diggings, dike, disclosure, ditch, donga, draw, excavation, fault, fenestra, fissure, fistula, flaw, flume, fontanel, foramen, fracture, furrow, gap, gape, gash, gat, gorge, groove, gulch, gulf, gully, hiatus, hole, hollow, incision, inlet, interval, joint, kloof, lacuna, laying open, leak, mine, moat, notch, nullah, opening, opening up, orifice, outlet, overlook, oversight, pass, passage, passageway, pit, pore, preterition, quarry, ravine, rent, rift, rime, rupture, scissure, seam, shaft, skip, slit, slot, space, split, stoma, throwing open, trench, uncorking, unstopping, valley, void, wadi, well, workings, yawn, yawning abyssROGET THESAURUS
chasm
Interval
N interval, interspace, separation, break, gap, opening, hole, chasm, hiatus, caesura, interruption, interregnum, interstice, lacuna, cleft, mesh, crevice, chink, rime, creek, cranny, crack, chap, slit, fissure, scissure, rift, flaw, breach, rent, gash, cut, leak, dike, ha-ha, gorge, defile, ravine, canon, crevasse, abyss, abysm, gulf, inlet, frith, strait, gully, pass, furrow, abra, barranca, barranco, clove, gulch, notch, yawning gulf, hiatus maxime, hiatus valde deflendus, parenthesis, void, incompleteness, period, interim (time), with an interval, far between, breachy, rimose, rimulose, at intervals, longo intervallo.Opening
N opening, hole, foramen, puncture, perforation, fontanel, transforation, pinhole, keyhole, loophole, porthole, peephole, mousehole, pigeonhole, eye of a needle, eyelet, slot, opening, aperture, apertness, hiation, yawning, oscitancy, dehiscence, patefaction, pandiculation, chasm, embrasure, window, casement, abatjour, light, sky light, fan light, lattice, bay window, bow window, oriel, dormer, lantern, outlet, inlet, vent, vomitory, embouchure, orifice, mouth, sucker, muzzle, throat, gullet, weasand, wizen, nozzle, placket, portal, porch, gate, ostiary, postern, wicket, trapdoor, hatch, door, arcade, cellarway, driveway, gateway, doorway, hatchway, gangway, lich gate, way, path, thoroughfare, channel, passage, passageway, tube, pipe, water pipe, air pipe, vessel, tubule, canal, gut, fistula, adjutage, ajutage, ostium, smokestack, chimney, flue, tap, funnel, gully, tunnel, main, mine, pit, adit, shaft, gallery, alley, aisle, glade, vista, bore, caliber, pore, blind orifice, fulgurite, thundertube, porousness, porosity, sieve, cullender, colander, cribble, riddle, screen, honeycomb, apertion, perforation, piercing, terebration, empalement, pertusion, puncture, acupuncture, penetration, key, opener, master key, password, combination, passe- partout, open, perforated, perforate, wide open, ajar, unclosed, unstopped, oscitant, gaping, yawning, patent, tubular, cannular, fistulous, pervious, permeable, foraminous, vesicular, vasicular, porous, follicular, cribriform, honeycombed, infundibular, riddled, tubulous, tubulated, piped, tubate, opening, aperient, Int, open sesame!.For further exploring for "chasm" in Webster Dictionary Online