fathomnoun/ˈfað(ə)m/

• 1

  historicalnauticaltransportA 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.

  • [T]he ſhipmen deemed that they drew neere to ſome countrey: And ſounded, and found it twentie fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they ſounded againe, and found it fifteene fathoms.
  • Full fadom fiue thy Father lies, Of his bones are Corrall made: Those are pearles that were his eies, Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a Sea-change Into someting rich, & strange
• 2

  historicalnauticaltransportA 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.

• 3

  nauticaltransportA 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.
  • At fifty fathoms, the waters of the Southern Ocean are dark blue.
• 4

  An unspecified depth.

• 5

  archaicobsoleteDepth of insight; mental reach or scope.

  • Another of his fathome they haue not / To leade their buſineſſe, […]
• 6

  obsoleteThe 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.

• 7

  obsoleteSomeone or something that is embraced.

  • Thy Bride, thy choice, thy vvife, / She that is novv thy fadom, […] Kneele at thy feete, obay in euerie thing, / So euerie Father is a priuate King.
• 8

  obsoleteControl, grasp.

  • So; novv knovv I vvhere I am, me thinkes already / I graſpe beſt part of the Autumnian bleſſing / In my contentious fadome, […]
  • Yes: / you have blovvne his ſvvolne pride to that vaſtnes, / as he beleeves the earth is in his fadom, / this makes him qute forget his humble Being: […]

fathomverb/ˈfað(ə)m/

• 1

  To measure the depth of (water); to take a sounding of; to sound.

  • It is very steep, and on its summit is a lake of dark water, so deep that it cannot be fathomed.
• 2

  archaicobsoleteTo encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; specifically, to measure the circumference or (rare) length of something.

• 3

  Often followed by out: to deeply understand (someone or something); to get to the bottom of.

  • I can’t for the life of me fathom what this means.
  • Otamendi’s selection ahead of Vincent Kompany was difficult to fathom and, apart from Fernandinho, City’s line-up was otherwise filled with attacking players.
• 4

  obsoleteTo embrace (someone or something).

• 5

  To measure a depth; to sound.

• 6

  To conduct an examination or inquiry; to investigate.