fathom
Americannoun
PLURAL
fathomsPLURAL
fathomverb (used with object)
-
to measure the depth of by means of a sounding line; sound.
-
to penetrate to the truth of; comprehend; understand.
to fathom someone's motives.
noun
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a unit of length equal to six feet (1.829 metres), used to measure depths of water
-
mining a unit of volume usually equal to six cubic feet, used in measuring ore bodies
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forestry a unit of volume equal to six cubic feet, used for measuring timber
verb
-
to measure the depth of, esp with a sounding line; sound
-
to penetrate (a mystery, problem, etc); discover the meaning of
Other Word Forms
- fathomable adjective
- fathomer noun
- unfathomable adjective
- unfathomed adjective
Etymology
Origin of fathom
First recorded before 900; Middle English fathme, Old English fæthm “span of outstretched arms”; cognate with German Faden “six-foot measure,” Old Norse fathmr; akin to Latin patēre “to stand open” ( patent )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It’s hard to fathom the kind of conviction that one must feel to take those steps.”
From Los Angeles Times
An attorney who helped organize the statewide prosecutor’s office when it was formed in 1986 said the new powers over election cases would have been hard to fathom back then.
From Washington Post
The course runs through glacially carved valleys and dense forests, with mountain peaks as far as the eye can fathom.
From Seattle Times
“I cannot fathom why the Administration and Congress would consider extending that reliance any longer and am proud to join this CRA to rescind the rule,” he said in a statement.
From Washington Post
It is almost impossible for the contemporary mind to fathom the conditions and the peril.
From Washington Post
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
