clysmic

From Ancient Greek κλύζω (klúzō, “to wash”) +‎ -ic.

clysmic (comparative more clysmic, superlative most clysmic)

1. (geology) In the direction of or pertaining to the Gulf of Suez.

   clysmic fault

   • 1966, Heinrich Moritz, Emil Schuermann, The Pre-cambrian Along the Guld of Suez and the Norther Part of the Red Sea, page 295:

     These huge faults quite often possess a trend parallel to the Gulf of Suez (clysmic faults), but important cross faults occur in the Gulf of Suez area too.

   • 1975, Garfunkel & Bartov, “Tectonics of the Suez Rift”, in Bulletin, page 21:

     This shows that the tectonic pattern of the Suez rift changed at the end of the Early Clysmic stage, that is about 16-17 m.y. ago (cf. Table 2) .

   • 1994, Susan M. Landon, Interior Rift Basins: AAPG Memoir 59, page Page 36:

     Summary of fault orientation data in the Gulf of Suez showing the four main trends: northwest oblique, clysmic, north oblique and cross.

   • 1998, Association des sédimentologistes français, Dynamics and Methods of Study of Sedimentary Basins, page 191:

     Deposition of group B follows an important structural development, for which the most striking consequence is the development of groups of large titled blocks of clysmic direction relayed by submeridian faults and N 100°-120°.

2. (archaic) Cleansing or purifying.
   • 1889, New York Court of Appeals. Records and Briefs, page 2603:

     while the interview lasted Mr. Hoyt called for some clysmic water, I think, which was brought in, and he had some glasses brought for us and wanted us to take some of the clysmic water, which was brought from one of those Wisconsin springs, and he discussed the merits of this clysmic water, etc., in a general sort of way,

• “clysmic”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

• cyclism