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1. Dictionary

   Fath·om

   /ˈfaT͟Həm/

   

   noun

   • 1. a unit of length equal to six feet (approximately 1.8 m), chiefly used in reference to the depth of water: "sonar says that we're in eighteen fathoms"

   verb

   • 1. understand (a difficult problem or an enigmatic person) after much thought: "he couldn't fathom why she was being so anxious" Similar understandcomprehendwork outfathom outmake sense ofgraspcatchfollowperceivemake outpenetratedivinesearch outferret outpuzzle outtake inassimilateabsorbget to the bottom ofinterpretdecipherdecodedisentangleuntangleunravelpiece togetherinformal:make head or tail oftake on boardget a fix onget/catch the drift oftumble tocrackdiggetget the pictureget the messagesee what's whattwigsuss (out)savvyrare:cognize
   • 2. measure the depth of (water): "an attempt to fathom the ocean" Similar measure the depth ofsoundplumbprobegaugeestimate

   Word Origin Old Englishfæthm, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vadem, vaam and German Faden ‘six feet’. The original sense was ‘something which embraces’, (plural) ‘the outstretched arms’; hence, a unit of measurement based on the span of the outstretched arms, later standardized to six feet.

   Derivatives

   • 1. fathomable adjective

   Scrabble Points: 14

   • F

     4

   • A

     1

   • T

     1

   • H

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   • O

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   • M

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2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › fathomFathom Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › fathom

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   The meaning of FATHOM is a unit of length equal to six feet (1.83 meters) used especially for measuring the depth of water —sometimes used in the singular when qualified by a number. How to use fathom in a sentence.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishFATHOM | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   FATHOM definition: 1. a unit for measuring the depth of water, equal to 1.8 metres or 6 feet 2. to discover the…. Learn more.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › fathomFATHOM Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › fathom

   • Cached

   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.

5. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › FathomFathom - Wikipedia

   en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Fathom

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   A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems equal to 6 feet (1.8288 m), used especially for measuring the depth of water. The fathom is neither an international standard (SI) unit, nor an internationally accepted non-SI unit.

6. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › fathomFathom - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › fathom

   Definitions of fathom. noun. a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth. synonyms: fthm. see more. noun. (mining) a unit of volume (equal to 6 cubic feet) used in measuring bodies of ore. synonyms: fthm. see more. verb. measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line. synonyms: sound. see more. verb.

7. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryFATHOM | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

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   FATHOM meaning: 1. a unit for measuring the depth of water, equal to 1.8 metres or 6 feet 2. to discover the…. Learn more.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishFATHOM | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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   FATHOM definition: 1. to be able to understand something after thinking about it a lot: 2. a unit for measuring the…. Learn more.

9. www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionaryFATHOM - All you need to know about it | Collins English...

   www.collinsdictionary.com › us › dictionary

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   A fathom is a measurement of 6 feet or 1.8 meters, used when referring to the depth of water. 2. If you cannot fathom something, you are unable to understand it, although you think carefully about it.

10. www.britannica.com › dictionary › fathomFathom Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

    www.britannica.com › dictionary › fathom

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    FATHOM meaning: a unit of length equal to six feet (about 1.8 meters) used especially for measuring the depth of water

11. www.yourdictionary.com › fathomFathom Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary

    www.yourdictionary.com › fathom

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    Fathom definition: A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.83 meters), used principally in the measurement and specification of marine depths.