a·bysm (?-b?z??m)n. An abyss.[Middle English abime, from Old French abisme, from Vulgar Latin *abissimus, alteration of Late Latin abyssus; see abyss.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.abysm (??b?z?m) n an archaic word for abyss[C13: via Old French from Medieval Latin abysmus abyss]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014a?bysm (??b?z ?m) n. an abyss. [1250?1300;