fathom
[ fath -uh m ]
/ ˈfæð əm /
noun, plural fath·oms, (especially collectively) fath·om.
a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 meters): used chiefly in nautical measurements. Abbreviation: fath
verb (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.
Words nearby fathom
fatherhood, fatherland, fatherless, fatherly, fathogram, fathom, fathometer, fathomless, fatidic, fatigable, fatigue
Origin of fathom
before 900; Middle English fathme, Old English fæthm span of outstretched arms; cognate with German Faden six-foot measure, Old Norse fathmr; akin to patent
OTHER WORDS FROM fathom
fath·om·a·ble, adjectivefath·om·er, nounun·fath·om·a·ble, adjectiveun·fath·omed, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for fathomable
They are fathomable; for even in the souls of "the immortals" they are only instruments of life warring against death.
The Complex Vision|John Cowper PowysThe twitching would disappear for a time for no fathomable reason, and reappear again.
Tics and Their Treatment|Henry MeigneThey are fathomable; for carried to a certain pitch of intensity they end in ecstasy or they end in death.
The Complex Vision|John Cowper PowysBut in every other sense, in all that touches the fathomable business of daylight, she has been a conspicuous success.
The Open Secret of Ireland|T. M. Kettle
British Dictionary definitions for fathomable
fathom
/ (ˈfæðəm) /
noun
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
forestry a unit of volume equal to six cubic feet, used for measuring timber
verb (tr)
to measure the depth of, esp with a sounding line; sound
to penetrate (a mystery, problem, etc); discover the meaning of
Derived forms of fathom
fathomable, adjectivefathomer, nounWord Origin for fathom
Old English fæthm; related to Old Frisian fethem outstretched arms, Old Norse fathmr embrace, Old High German fadum cubit, Latin patēre to gape
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012