We sailed into the bay and dropped anchor in five fathoms of water. It's free and takes five seconds. 1. a unit of mesuring distance that is 6 feet or about equal to the length of a grown man's outstreched arms. Fathom originates from Old English fæthm, "length of the outstretched arms." (1) But I can't fathom anyone reading stories like this and not feeling the sting and burn of utter, abject shame. (3) She didn't have time to fathom the mystery of books, though. 1usually with negative Understand (a difficult problem or an enigmatic person) after much thought. fathomed definition: 1. past simple and past participle of fathom 2. to discover the meaning of something: 3. to…. It's too 'deep' for you to understand. “I still can't fathom how somebody would do that to somebody.” I cannot fathom that,” and calling Lewandowski “a political shill.” I can't fathom it. To understand something thoroughly is "to get to the bottom of it.". He couldn't fathom why she'd taken such exception to Eleanor. (1) But I can't fathom anyone reading stories like this and not feeling the sting and burn of utter, abject shame. As a secondary usage it means you understand the subject being discussed or don't if worded in the negative. A fathom is the unit of measurement used in calculating sea depth. 8 years ago. The Old English and modern English noun also refers to a unit of length used to measure the depth of water. But I can't fathom anyone reading stories like this and not feeling the sting and burn of utter, abject shame. What is the American word for the British first floor? I can only begin to fathom the horrors the soldiers endured during the war. It is hard to fathom the pain felt at the death of a child: 4. The literal meaning of the verb, to fathom is “to encircle with the arms.” For example, a tree trunk might be too thick for a man to fathom (i.e., encircle with his arms). Learn more. oms 1. To fathom something is to understand it thoroughly, and is usually used in the negative, as in "I can't fathom why he doesn't want to go along with us. Definition of I can only begin to fathom ... Fathom = imagine/understand You'd use this phrase to mean "I can't truly understand" or "I can't even imagine" Ex. Pin down [understand, fathom out] - English Only forum So big that most of us can't "fathom" it. 22. A fathom is a measurement of 6 feet or 1.8 meters, used when referring to the depth of water. Here Are Our Top English Tips, The Best Articles To Improve Your English Language Usage, The Most Common English Language Questions. Erika. om. Answer Save. 4 Answers. (4) He could never fathom ever giving up his absolute free will. To penetrate to the meaning or nature of; comprehend. What is the American word for the British flick knife? Tips: Fathom is often used in the context of "not" being able to understand, as in, "I can't fathom why you did that." A fathom is one of those units of linear measurement that we learned at school (at least we did when I was at an English grammar school in the 14th century) and now can't quite remember just what length they refer to. Could he fathom the meaning of the colors? ‘But I can't fathom anyone reading stories like this and not feeling the sting and burn of utter, abject shame.’ ‘She couldn't fathom him having any of those anymore.’ ‘It really did give one's mind a good exercise, trying to fathom out the clues, whether they be ‘red herrings’ or helpful hints.’ English Mr Böge, I cannot quite fathom what you mean by defective methods of calculation. Fathom is from Middle English fadme, from Old English fæthm "outstretched arms." 2. Jessi sat frozen, unable to fathom that the simple red gem was capable of such magic. Lexico's first Word of the Year! Answer Save. To determine the depth of; sound. SumDude. - English Only forum though clear enough in a literal sense, in a figurative one were difficult to fathom - English Only forum to further fathom.. - English Only forum Unable to fathom the implied meaning of this extract - English Only forum A fathom is a measurement of 1.8 metres or 6 feet, used when referring to the depth of water. "I can't fathom why he did that." I can't even fathom basicly means I can't understand. 0 0. Definition of fathom Fathom is a system of measurement for measuring the depth of water. Whether you're a student, an educator, or a lifelong learner, Vocabulary.com can put you Are You Learning English? on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement. 18. The original meaning of the noun fathom was “the two arms outstretched.” A fathom was the length represented by the arms of a full-grown man held straight out to either side. I can't for the life of me fathom what this means. It's here! I simply can't fathom quantum physics. It's free and takes five seconds. Source(s): https://shrink.im/a7Wmb. To determine the depth of; sound. 2. to contemplate or think about with effort What is the American word for the British crisps? Understand (a difficult problem or an enigmatic person) after much thought. Relevance. Anonymous. Like you, I struggle to fathom what this will mean for farmers, ranchers, and rural America. Does English Have More Words Than Any Other Language? Definition of fathom in English English dictionary Grasp, envelopment, control A measure of length corresponding to the outstretched arms, standardised to six feet, now used mainly for measuring depths in seas or oceans To measure the depth of, take a sounding of To get to the bottom of; to manage to comprehend (a problem etc.) Fathom Definition. There is a difference of a fathom in the mean height of the tides. This meaning is where the original nautical measurement originated. a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 meters): used chiefly in nautical measurements. 16. Think, depth of understanding. Jeremy's passive attitude was hard to fathom: 7. It’s hard to imagine it; even having worked several winters in acute admissions in an NHS hospital and then having gone through the pandemic, I can’t still can’t quite fathom how bad things are going to get. I was watching an OMFGitsjackanddean video and Jack said "I cant even fathom..!" Sign up. (2) Even if we were just friends, I still didn't want to fathom another girl in the picture. open_in_new Link to source ; warning Request revision ; Jag kan inte riktigt föreställa mig, herr Böge, vad ni menar när ni säger felaktiga beräkningsmetoder. 4 0. xcvfvf. Learn more. What is the American word for the British football? She could not fathom whether it was curiosity, devotion, gratitude, or apprehension and distrust--but the expression on all the faces was identical. What exactly does this quote mean? Use of "Fathom" word in sentences, examples. What is the American word for the British torch? Favorite Answer. , comprehend, work out, fathom out, make sense of, grasp, catch, follow, perceive, make out, penetrate, divine, search out, ferret out, puzzle out, take in, assimilate, absorb, get to the bottom of. 9 years ago . To say that you cant't fathom something means you can't understand it properly. Chaotic/confused thoughts that he can't make sense of, something like that. Sign up. I’ll bet you’ve heard of the famous musical “Phantom of the Opera.” A fathom is a measurement of depth in water. What is the American word for the British tea towel? 23. The noun fathom, which now commonly refers to a measure (especially of depth) of six feet, was originally used for the distance, fingertip to fingertip, created by stretching one's arms straight out from the sides of the body. fath‧om1 /ˈfæðəm/ noun [ countable] a unit for measuring the depth of water, equal to six feet or about 1.8 metres Examples from the Corpus fathom • In Taylor's Level the ground was equally as hard and the rate had been increased there to £9 a fathom. 8. Example. |@Micah_6789 It's old in US English when used to mean you understand. ", Fathom is from Middle English fadme, from Old English fæthm "outstretched arms." I still can't fathom out what she meant: 2. To fathom something is to understand it thoroughly, and is usually used in the negative, as in "I can't fathom why he doesn't want to go along with us." Canadians can't fathom the length of our political campaigns. can't fathom definition, meaning, English dictionary, synonym, see also 'can't',you can't win',you can or can't talk',can't tell (or doesn't know)chalk from cheese', Reverso dictionary, English definition… A phantom is like a ghost. 2. (3) She didn't have time to fathom the mystery of books, though. 2. verb [no cont] If you cannot fathom something, you are unable to understand it, although you think carefully about it. i can't fathom why definition in English dictionary, i can't fathom why meaning, synonyms, see also 'fathomer',fathomable',Fathometer',fathomless'. e.g. I can't fathom her out — she says one thing then does another: 6. To penetrate to the meaning or nature of; comprehend. What is the American word for the British holiday? 15. The Old English and modern English noun also refers to a unit of length used to measure the depth of water. 14. It’s equal to about 6 feet or 1.8 meters. A fathom is a measurment of the depth of water in the sea. He couldn't fathom out what the man could possibly mean: 3. It might mean something like 'my thoughts are scattered and I can't make any sense or pattern of them'. ‘But I can't fathom anyone reading stories like this and not feeling the sting and burn of utter, abject shame.’ ‘She couldn't fathom him having any of those anymore.’ ‘It really did give one's mind a good exercise, trying to fathom out the clues, whether they be ‘red herrings’ or helpful hints.’ We sailed into the bay and dropped anchor in five fathoms of water. fathom definition: 1. a unit for measuring the depth of water, equal to 1.8 metres or 6 feet 2. to discover the…. What does that mean? more_vert. 16. For years people have been trying to fathom the mysteries of the whale's song: 5. 5 Answers . oms 1. What is the American word for the British tick? Relevance? “The shipwreck sits on the ocean floor at 2000 fathoms.” Fathom is also a verb that means to understand. What is the American word for the British number plate? Favorite Answer. 19. I just can't fathom people who could have a quiet life, who don't have to be controversial for a living, but do it anyway. 4 years ago. What is the American word for the British braces? Old English fæthm, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vadem, vaam and German Faden ‘six feet’. (2) Even if we were just friends, I still didn't want to fathom another girl in the picture. That might not be true in UK English. Lv 7. A scientist may fathom the magnitude of a discovery, or consider carefully all its implications. 8 years ago. 5 0. A unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 metres), chiefly used in reference to the depth of water. Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition … My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations. 9 years … im confused. (4) He could never fathom ever giving up his absolute free will. 2. transitive verb [no cont, oft with brd-neg] If you cannot fathom something, you are unable to understand it, although you think carefully about it. a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth, measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line, a unit of measurement of volume or capacity, express as a number or measure or quantity, know and comprehend the nature or meaning of. Don't have an account yet? I can't point you to any tests, sorry, but I can tell you why FLAC etc can sound better than MP3. Fathom comes to us from Old English fæthm, meaning "outstretched arms." Lv 5. 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. 'S outstreched arms. worded in the negative American word for the British tea towel first floor only begin fathom... 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