Standard Lemma guide

fathom

noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfað(ə)m/
  • General-American: /ˈfæðəm/
  • dialectal, obsolete: /ˈfædəm/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F AE1 DH AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, historical

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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.

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, historical

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Topics: nautical, transport

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An unspecified depth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, in-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Depth of insight; mental reach or scope.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, figuratively, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Someone or something that is embraced.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Control, grasp.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: figure out, puzzle out, work out

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To embrace (someone or something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To measure a depth; to sound.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To conduct an examination or inquiry; to investigate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

noun

Meaning 15

(mining) a unit of volume (equal to 6 cubic feet) used in measuring bodies of ore

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fthm

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: volume unit, capacity unit, capacity measure, cubage unit, cubic measure, cubic content unit, displacement unit, cubature unit

16

noun

Meaning 16

a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fthm

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: linear unit, linear measure

17

verb

Meaning 17

measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sound

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: quantify, measure

18

verb

Meaning 18

come to understand

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penetrate, bottom

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: understand

History

Etymology

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 dispersed or scattered”) (whence English petal) * Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌸𐌰 (faþa, “fench; hedge”) * Latin pateō (“to extend, increase; to be accessible, attainable, open; to be exposed, vulnerable”) * Low German fadem, faem (“cubit; thread”) * Middle Dutch vadem (modern Dutch vaam, vadem (“fathom”)) * Norwegian Bokmål favn (“an embrace; a fathom”) * Old Frisian fethm (“outstretched arms”) * Old High German fadam, fadum (“cubit”) (Middle High German vade (“enclosure”), vadem, vaden, modern German Faden (“fathom; filament, thread”)) * Old Norse faþmr (Danish favn (“an embrace; a fathom”), Icelandic faðmur (“an embrace”), Swedish famn (“the arms, bosom; an embrace”)) * Old Welsh etem (“thread”)

Across languages

Translations

180 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Aklanon: dupa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Arabic: قامة (qāma) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Bulgarian: фатом (fatom) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Bulgarian: клафтер (klafter) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Catalan: braça — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Cebuano: dupa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Chinese Mandarin: 英寻 (yīngxún) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Chinese Mandarin: 英尋 /英寻 (yīngxún) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Czech: sáh — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Danish: favn — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Dutch: vadem — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Erzya: сэль (sëľ) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Esperanto: klafto — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Estonian: süld — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Faroese: favnur — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Finnish: syli — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • French: brasse — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • French: toise — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Galician: braza — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Georgian: საზღვაო საჟენი (sazɣvao saženi) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Georgian: ზღვის საჟენი (zɣvis saženi) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • German: Faden — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • German: Klafter — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Greek: οργιά (orgiá) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Ancient Greek: ὀργυιά (orguiá) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Hebrew: פַאדוֹם (fadom) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Hebrew: אַמַּת יָם (amat yam) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Higaonon: dupa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Hungarian: öl — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Icelandic: faðmur — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Ilocano: deppa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Irish: feá — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Isnag: dappa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Italian: braccio — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Japanese: ファゾム (fazomu) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Japanese: 尋 (hiro) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Malay: depa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Mansaka: dupa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Māori: aronui — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Māori: mārō — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Māori: whanganga — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Norman: brache — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Occitan: braça — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Persian: باز (bāz) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Persian: باژ (bāž) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Persian: بازه (bāze) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Polish: sążeń — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Portuguese: braça — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Romanian: fathom — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Romanian: braț — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Romanian: stânjen marin — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Russian: фадом (fadom) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Russian: фатом (fatom) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Russian: морская са́жень (morskaja sáženʹ) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Sanskrit: व्याम (vyāma) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Serbo-Croatian: хва̑т) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Serbo-Croatian: hvȃt — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Slovak: siaha — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Slovene: seženj — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Spanish: braza — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Swedish: famn — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Tagalog: dipa — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Telugu: బార (bāra) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Tetum: roha — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Thai: วา (waa) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Tocharian B: keṣe — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Turkish: kulaç — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Ottoman Turkish: قولاچ (kulaç) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Ukrainian: фатом (fatom) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Ukrainian: сажень (saženʹ) — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Welsh: gwrhyd — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Welsh: gwryd — measure of six feet — see also brace, toise
  • Bulgarian: дълбочина (dǎlbočina) — depth of insight, mental reach or scope
  • Tagalog: tarok — depth of insight, mental reach or scope
  • Catalan: sondejar — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Czech: měřit hloubku — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Finnish: luodata — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • French: comprendre — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • French: saisir — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • French: s'imaginer — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • German: ausloten — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • German: loten — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • German: sondieren — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Ido: sondar — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Portuguese: sondar — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Romanian: măsura — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Romanian: sonda — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Russian: де́лать проме́р лотом (délatʹ promér lotom) — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Russian: измеря́ть (izmerjátʹ) — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Slovene: izmeriti — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Spanish: sondar — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Spanish: sondear — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Spanish: fondear — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Spanish: hondear — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Spanish: asondar — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Swedish: loda — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Turkish: kulaçlamak — to measure the depth of (water) — see also sound
  • Catalan: abraçar — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Finnish: syleillä — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Galician: abrazar — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • German: umarmen — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Hungarian: átölel — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Occitan: abraçar — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Romanian: apuca — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Romanian: îmbrățișa — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Russian: обхватить (obxvatitʹ) — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Slovak: objať — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Slovak: obsiahnuť — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Slovene: objeti — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Spanish: abrazar — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Swedish: famna om — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Swedish: omfamna — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Turkish: kulaçlamak — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Ottoman Turkish: قولاچلامق (kulaçlamak) — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Ukrainian: обхопити (obxopyty) — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Ukrainian: обійняти (obijnjaty) — to encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; to measure the circumference or length of something
  • Bulgarian: проумявам (proumjavam) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Bulgarian: проумея (proumeja) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Bulgarian: разбирам (razbiram) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Bulgarian: разбера (razbera) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Catalan: comprendre — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Chinese Cantonese: 理解 (lei5 gaai2) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Czech: porozumět do hloubky — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Czech: proniknout — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Czech: pochopit — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Czech: přijít na kloub — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Danish: begribe — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Danish: fatte — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Dutch: begrijpen — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Dutch: bevroeden — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Dutch: snappen — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Dutch: vatten — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Estonian: aru saama — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Estonian: hoomama — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Estonian: mõistma — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Finnish: käsittää — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • French: comprendre — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • French: saisir — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Georgian: ჩასწვდება (časc̣vdeba) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Georgian: სწვდება (sc̣vdeba) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • German: begreifen — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • German: ergründen — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • German: verstehen — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Gothic: 𐌼𐌹𐍄𐍉𐌽 (mitōn) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Hungarian: kifürkész — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Hungarian: kitalál — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Hungarian: megért — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Hungarian: rájön — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Italian: capire — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Italian: comprendere — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Portuguese: compreender — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Romanian: înțelege — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Romanian: pătrunde — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: иссле́довать (isslédovatʹ) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: осознава́ть (osoznavátʹ) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: понима́ть (ponimátʹ) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: постигать (postigatʹ) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: расследовать (rassledovatʹ) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: разузнавать (razuznavatʹ) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: выясня́ть (vyjasnjátʹ) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Russian: вруби́ться (vrubítʹsja) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Slovak: obsiahnuť — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Slovak: pochopiť — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Slovak: zvládnuť — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Slovene: dognati — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: ahondar — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: profundizar — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: sondar — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: sondear — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: fondear — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: hondear — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: asondar — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Spanish: desentrañar — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Swedish: begripa — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Swedish: fatta — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Swedish: förstå — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Ukrainian: осягати (osjahaty) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Ukrainian: збагнути (zbahnuty) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Ukrainian: усвідомлювати (usvidomljuvaty) — to deeply understand (someone or something)
  • Ukrainian: здогадуватися (zdohaduvatysja) — to deeply understand (someone or something)