diepzee

By surface analysis, diep (“deep”) +‎ zee (“sea”). At first (mid-19th c.) in compounds such as diepzeelood (“deep-sea plumbline”). Possibly after English deep sea and/or German Tiefsee; at any rate for some time regarded as a Germanism. (Adjective-initial compounds are much commoner in German than in Dutch, which may make German origin plausible, but may also lead to false attributions.)

• IPA^(key): /dipˈseː/, /ˈdip.seː/

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• Hyphenation: diep‧zee

diepzee f (plural diepzeeën, no diminutive)

1. (uncountable) the deep sea, the deep part of all the world's seas and oceans, viewed collectively
2. (countable, less common) a deep sea, a profound part of an ocean or sea

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