Plural of chasm; deep, steep-sided openings in the earth, or figuratively, large gaps or divisions.
From Middle English 'chasme,' from Greek 'chasma' (χάσμα, gaping mouth), related to 'chainein' (χαίνειν, to gape/yawn). The plural 's' is the standard English nominalization. The term has been used metaphorically since ancient times to describe unbridgeable differences.
The Grand Canyon is Earth's most famous chasm, but the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is actually a chasmic abyss that's much deeper—over 11 kilometers straight down!
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