JISUPOSTEnglish
ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Fathom

/ˈfað(ə)m/ · noun

Meaning

(chiefly nautical, historical, US) 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..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (chiefly nautical, historical, US) 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.
  2. (nautical, US) A measure of distance to shore: the nearest point to shore at which the water depth is the value quoted.
  3. An unspecified depth.
  4. Depth of insight; mental reach or scope.
  5. 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.
  6. Someone or something that is embraced.
  7. Control, grasp.
  8. To measure the depth of (water); to take a sounding of; to sound.

Example Sentences

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

Synonyms for fathom

stadetoisebracebrazaestadioorguiafigure outpuzzle outwork outsoundbottompenetratefthm

Antonyms for fathom

Related Words

penetratesoundbottomfthmgraspapprehendunraveluntanglemeasurecomprehendunderstandimagineisobathkenrealiseplumbprobegaugefiguredecipher

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Add this word and synonyms to Word SearchSynonyms and antonymsBetter words by context

Frequently Asked Questions

What does fathom mean?

Fathom means (chiefly nautical, historical, US) 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..

What is a synonym for fathom?

Common synonyms include stade, toise, brace, braza.

What is the opposite of fathom?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use fathom in a sentence?

[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.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.