fathom
A man's armspan, generally reckoned to be six feetA man's armspan, generally reckoned to be six feet (about 1.8 metres). Later used to measure the depth of water, but now generally replaced by the metre outside American usage.
» I can't fathom how Tom did that.
Meaning
8 senses(US, historical)A man's armspan, generally reckoned to be six feet (about 1.8 metres). Later used to measure the depth of water, but now generally replaced by the metre outside American usage.
Faden, Klafter
фадомfadom, фатомfatom, морская са́женьmorskaja sáženʹ
фатомfatom, саженьsaženʹ
A man's armspan, generally reckoned to be six feet (about 1.8 metres). Later used to measure the depth of water, but now generally replaced by the metre outside American usage.
(US, historical)An internationally standardized version of this unit, the international fathom (= 1.8288 metres = 6 feet).
a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth
(US)A measure of distance to shore: the nearest point to shore at which the water depth is the value quoted.
After we'd rowed for an hour, we found ourselves stranded ten fathoms from shore.
(figuratively, in the plural)An unspecified depth.
(archaic, figuratively, obsolete)Depth of insight; mental reach or scope.
(obsolete)The act of stretching out one's arms away from the sides of the torso so that they make a straight line perpendicular to the body.
(obsolete)Someone or something that is embraced.
(figuratively, obsolete)Control, grasp.
Examples
11 sentencesI can't fathom how Tom did that.
I can't fathom what you said.
Я не можу осягнути те, що ви сказали.
ruЯ не могу оценить глубину Вашего высказывания.
I can't fathom why somebody would make something like that up.
I absolutely cannot fathom why you bought that ridiculously expensive car.
deIch kann absolut nicht verstehen, warum du dir dieses irrwitzig teure Auto gekauft hast.
I can't fathom it.
deIch komme nicht dahinter.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English fathome, fadom, fadme (“unit of length of about six feet; depth of sixFrom Middle English fathome, fadom, fadme (“unit of length of about six feet; depth of six feet for nautical soundings; (loosely) cubit; ell”) [and other forms], from Old English fæþm, fæþme (“encircling or outstretched arms, bosom, embrace; envelopment; control, grasp, power; fathom (unit of measurement); cubit”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *faþm (“outstretched arms, embrace; fathom (unit of measurement)”), from Proto-Germanic *faþmaz (“outstretched arms, embrace; fathom (unit of measurement)”), from Proto-Indo-European *pet-, *peth₂- (“to spread out; to fly”).
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