chaos (1 is a sense of the orig. Greek word; 4 is a rare use)
1.
‘black gulf’ or ‘deep abyss’ of night or darkness Oth. III. iii. 92*
“when I love thee not, Chaos
is come again” (or ?=sense 2),
Ven. 1020
“black chaos comes
again,”
Lucr. 767
“Vast sin-concealing
”
(=night).
2.
state resembling that
of primitive chaos or the ‘formless
void’ of primordial matter, utter confusion
Troil. I. iii. 125
“This chaos, when degree
is suffocate.”
3.
confused mass or
conglomeration
Rom. I. i. 184
“Mis-shapen chaos of
well-seeming forms.”
4.
shapeless mass
3H6 III. ii. 161
“To disproportion me . .
. Like to a chaos, or an unlick'd
bear-whelp.”
