Literary or formal term for a deep, narrow valley with steep sides. Not an everyday word; 谷 (たに) is the common equivalent.
The ravine was deep, and a clear stream flowed at the bottom.
ravenous desire; insatiable craving
Figurative use likening intense desire to a bottomless chasm. Rare and literary; often appears in the set phrase 渓壑の欲 (けいがくのよく).
His insatiable desire for power finally brought about his ruin.
Standard kanji spelling for both senses.
Variant kanji form; 谿 is an older or less common character for valley.
Compound of 渓 (valley, stream) and 壑 (deep valley, ravine). Both characters reinforce the meaning of a deep, steep-sided valley. The figurative sense of insatiable desire comes from the image of a bottomless chasm.