fathom

Everyday

1. To fathom something is to understand it fully after thinking hard. tree →
2. A fathom is an old unit of length for measuring depth at sea, equal to six feet. tree →

In the lessons

in stories, to work out a puzzle or mystery; at sea, a depth measured in fathoms (ten fathoms of chain)

Examples

• I cannot fathom why the door was locked. tree →
• No one could fathom the old man's riddle. tree →
• He fathomed the trick at once. tree →
• The sailors let down a rope ten fathoms long. tree →
• Ten fathoms is about sixty feet. tree →

Note

Each fathom is 6 feet, so multiply the number of fathoms by 6 to find feet; ten fathoms means 60 feet.