English
Etymology
Old English fæþm �outstretched arms�, from Germanic *faþmaz, from Indo-European *pet-. Cognate with Dutch vadem, vaam, German Faden, Swedish famn.
Pronunciation
IPA|/�fæð�m/
audio|en-us-fathom.ogg|Audio (US)
Noun
en-noun
- obsolete grasp|Grasp, envelopment, control.
- nautical A measure of length corresponding to the outstretched arms, standardised to six feet, now used mainly for measuring depths in seas or oceans.
Translations
trans-top|measure of length
Czech: sáh
Chinese: ���(yi bei chang)
Danish: favn
Dutch: vadem
Erzya: ��л� (selj)
Estonian: süld
Finnish: syli
French: brasse f
German: Klafter, Faden
Hungarian: öl
Italian: braccio m
trans-mid
Japanese: hiro
Norwegian: favn
Polish: s�że�
Portuguese: braça
Russian: мо��ка� �ажен�
Sanskrit: vyama
Serbian: �ва�/hvat
Slovak: siaha
Spanish: braza
Swedish: famn
trans-bottom
Verb
en-verb
- archaic To encircle with outstretched arms, especially to take a measurement; to embrace.
- To measure the depth of, take a sounding of.
- figuratively To get to the bottom of; to manage to comprehend (a problem etc.).
#: I can't for the life of me fathom what this means.
Synonyms
fathom out, figure out, puzzle out, work out
Translations
trans-top|to manage to comprehend
French: saisir, comprendre
trans-mid
Italian: capire, comprendere
trans-bottom
rfc-trans
Danish: begribe (1)
German: ausloten, ergründen
Related terms
fathomable
fathometer
fathom out
unfathomable
Category:Units of measure
et:fathom
fr:fathom
io:fathom
lt:fathom
pt:fathom
ru:fathom
ta:fathom
te:fathom
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zh:fathom
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