fathom

CEFRC1

/ˈfað(ə)m/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To understand something that is difficult to understand.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    A measure of distance to shore: the nearest point to shore at which the water depth is the value quoted.

Examples

  • I can't fathom why somebody would make something like that up.

  • I can't fathom what you said.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈfædəm/
  • /ˈfæðəm/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. 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.

  2. An internationally standardized version of this unit, the international fathom (= 1.8288 metres = 6 feet).

  3. An unspecified depth.

More examples

In context

  • I didn't fathom this happening.

  • After we'd rowed for an hour, we found ourselves stranded ten fathoms from shore.

  • I can’t for the life of me fathom what this means.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The diver tried to blank the deep ocean trench but failed.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From 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”). Cognates * Ancient Greek πέταλος (pétalos, “broad; flat”), πετᾰ́ννῡμῐ (petắnnūmĭ, “to open; to spread out; to be d...