1. a unit of measurement equal to six feet, used especially for measuring the depth of water
Usage: nautical

1. to understand something completely

Examples

• I cannot fathom why she would quit such a good job.
• The mystery was too complex for anyone to fathom.
• He struggled to fathom the meaning of the ancient text.
• The water was twenty fathoms deep.
• The ship’s anchor chain was measured in fathoms.
• Scientists tried to fathom the cause of the unusual phenomenon.
• The depth sounder showed fifteen fathoms beneath the hull.