1)The formless chaos from which matter and spirit were formed, 2) The bottomless pit (or deep) of the ancient cosmologies 3) The final place of punishment of the wicked mystic Christianity 3) The abode of evil powers (Chrisitan)
[ &-'bis, a- also 'a- ] (noun.) 14th century. Middle English abissus, from Late Latin abyssus, from Greek abyssos, from abyssos, adjective, bottomless, from a- + byssos depth; perhaps akin to Greek bathys deep.