deep

Etymology

From Middle English depe, deep, dep, deop, from Old English dēop (“deep, profound; awful, mysterious; heinous; serious, solemn, earnest; extreme, great”), from Proto-West Germanic *deup, from Proto-Germanic *deupaz (“deep”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-nós, from *dʰewbʰ- (“deep”). Cognates Cognate with Scots depe (“deep”), Saterland Frisian djoop (“deep”), West Frisian djip (“deep”), Low German deep (“deep”), Dutch diep (“deep”), German tief (“deep”), Danish dyb (“deep”), Norwegian Bokmål dyp (“deep”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish djup (“deep”), Icelandic djúpur (“deep”), Lithuanian dubùs (“deep, hollow”), Albanian det (“sea”), Welsh dwfn (“deep”).

adj

1. (of distance or position; also figurative) Extending far away from a point of reference, especially downwards.
   1. Extending far down from the top, or surface, to the bottom, literally or figuratively.
      The lake is extremely deep.
      We hiked into a deep valley between tall mountains.
      There was a deep layer of dust on the floor; the room had not been disturbed for many years.
      In the mid-1970s, the economy went into a deep recession.
      We are in deep trouble.
      While Britain’s recession has been deep and unforgiving, in London it has been relatively shallow. September 28 2013, Kenan Malik, “London Is Special, but Not That Special”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-09-28
   2. Far in extent in another (non-downwards, but generally also non-upwards) direction away from a point of reference.
      The shelves are 30 centimetres deep. — They are deep shelves.
   3. (in combination) Extending to a level or length equivalent to the stated thing.
      The water was waist-deep.
      There is an arm-deep hole in the wall.
   4. In a (specified) number of rows or layers.
      a crowd three deep along the funeral procession
   5. Thick.
      That cyclist's deep chest allows him to draw more air.
   6. Voluminous.
      to take a deep breath / sigh / drink
   7. Positioned or reaching far, especially down through something or into something.
      1. (cricket, baseball, softball) Far from the center of the playing area, near to the boundary of the playing area, either in absolute terms or relative to a point of reference.
         He is fielding at deep mid wicket.
         She hit a ball into deep center field.
      2. (sports such as soccer, tennis) Penetrating a long way, especially a long way forward.
         a deep volley
         a deep run into the opposition half
      3. (sports such as soccer, American football, tennis) Positioned back, or downfield, towards one's own goal, or towards or behind one's baseline or similar reference point.
         Our defensive live is too deep. We need to move further up the field.
         She returns serve from a very deep position.
      4. (anatomy, often with to) Further into the body.
         the brachialis is deep to the biceps
2. (intellectual, social) Complex, involved.
   1. Profound, having great meaning or import, but possibly obscure or not obvious.
      That is a deep thought!
   2. Significant, not superficial, in extent.
      They're in deep discussion.
   3. Hard to penetrate or comprehend; profound; intricate; obscure.
      a deep subject or plot
      Why it was that the ancients had no landscape painting, is a question deep almost as the mystery of life, and harder of solution than all the problems of jurisprudence combined. c. 1840, Thomas De Quincey
   4. Of penetrating or far-reaching intellect; not superficial; thoroughly skilled; sagacious; cunning.
      I never said I was deep, but I am profoundly shallow / My lack of knowledge is vast, and my horizons are narrow 2009, Jarvis Cocker (lyrics and music), “I Never Said I Was Deep”, in Further Complications.
3. (sound, voice) Low in pitch.
   She has a very deep contralto voice.
   The departure was not unduly prolonged.[…]Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments on the subject of Divine Intention in the disposition of buckets; farewells and last commiserations; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity. 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest
4. (of a color or flavour) Highly saturated; rich.
   That's a very deep shade of blue.
   The spices impart a deep flavour to the dish.
5. (sleep) Sound, heavy (describing a state of sleep from which one is not easily awoken).
   He was in a deep sleep.
6. Muddy; boggy; sandy; said of roads.
7. (of time) Distant in the past, ancient.
   deep time
   in the deep past

adv

1. Far, especially far down through something or into something, physically or figuratively.
   The ogre lived in a cave deep underground.
   We ventured deep into the forest.
   His problems lie deep in the subconscious.
   I am deep in debt.
2. (also deeply) In a profound, not superficial, manner.
   I thought long and deep.
3. (also deeply) In large volume.
   breathe deep, drink deep
4. (sports) Back towards one's own goal, baseline, or similar.
   He's normally a midfield player, but today he's playing deep.

noun

1. (literary, with "the") The deep part of a lake, sea, etc.
   creatures of the deep
2. (with "the") The sea, the ocean.
3. A deep hole or pit, a water well; an abyss.
   Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Psalm 42 verse 7
4. (literary, with "the") A silent time; quiet isolation.
   the deep of night
5. (rare) A deep shade of colour.
   For our blues we have the azures and ceruleans, lapis lazulis, the light and dusty, the powder blues, the deeps: royal, sapphire, navy, and marine […] 2014, William H. Gass, On Being Blue: A Philosophical Inquiry, page 59
6. (US, rare) The profound part of a problem.
7. (cricket) A fielding position near the boundary.
   Russell is a safe pair of hands in the deep.