di:p adj., n., & adv. --adj. 1 a extending
far down
from the top (deep
hole; deep water). b extending far in from the
surface or
edge (deep wound; deep
plunge; deep shelf; deep border). 2 (predic.) a extending to or lying at a specified
depth (water 6
feet deep; ankle-deep in mud). b in a specified
number of ranks
one behind another (soldiers
drawn up
six deep). 3 situated far down or
back or in (hands deep in
his pockets). 4
coming or
brought from far down or in (deep
breath; deep sigh). 5 low-pitched, full-toned,
not shrill (deep
voice; deep
note; deep bell). 6
intense,
vivid,
extreme (deep
disgrace; deep
sleep; deep
colour; deep secret). 7
heartfelt,
absorbing (deep
affection; deep feelings; deep interest). 8 (predic.)
fully absorbed or overwhelmed (deep in a
book; deep in debt). 9
profound, penetrating, not
superficial;
difficult to
understand (deep
thinker; deep thought; deep
insight; deep learning). 10 Cricket
distant from the
batsman (deep mid-off). 11
Football distant from the
front line of one's
team. 12 sl.
cunning or
secretive (a deep one). --n. 1 (prec. by the)
poet. the
sea. 2 a deep
part of the sea. 3 an
abyss, pit, or
cavity. 4 (prec. by the) Cricket the
position of a
fielder distant from the batsman. 5 a deep
state (deep of the night). 6 poet. a
mysterious region of thought or
feeling. --adv. deeply; far down or in (dig deep;
read deep
into the night). ødeep
breathing breathing
with long breaths,
esp. as a
form of
exercise. deep-drawn (of
metal etc.) shaped by forcing
through a die
when cold. deep-fry (-fries, -fried) fry (food) in an
amount of
fat or
oil sufficient to
cover it. deep
kiss a kiss with
contact between tongues. deep-laid (of a scheme)
secret and elaborate. deep
mourning mourning expressed by wearing
only black clothes. deep-mouthed (esp. of a dog) having a deep voice. deep-rooted (esp. of convictions) firmly established. deep sea the deeper parts of the
ocean. deep-seated (of
emotion,
disease, etc.) firmly established, profound. Deep
South the States of the US bordering the
Gulf of Mexico. deep
space the regions
beyond the
solar system or the earth's
atmosphere. deep
therapy curative treatment with short-wave X-rays of
high penetrating
power. go
off (or go in off) the deep
end colloq.
give way to
anger or emotion. in deep
water (or waters) in
trouble or
difficulty.
jump (or be thrown) in at the deep end
face a difficult
problem,
undertaking,
etc., with
little experience of it. øødeeply adv. deepness n. [OE deop (adj.), diope, deope (adv.), f. Gmc: rel. to DIP]
