fathom
noun/ˈfæðəm/
/ˈfæðəm/
- a unit for measuring the depth of water, equal to 6 feet or 1.8 metres
- The ship sank in 20 fathoms.
- (figurative) She kept her feelings hidden fathoms deep.
Word OriginOld English fæthm, 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.
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