- a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 metres), chiefly used in reference to the depth of water英寻（长度单位, 等于6英尺或1.8米, 主要用于指水的深度）：
sonar says that we're in eighteen fathoms.
声呐显示我们的深度为18英寻。
with obj.
1
- usu. with negative understand (a difficult problem or an enigmatic person) after much thought深刻理解, 彻底弄清（难题或神秘的人）：
the locals could not fathom out the reason behind his new-found prosperity
当地人说什么也弄不懂他新近暴富的原因
with clause he couldn't fathom why she was being so anxious.他搞不懂她为什么这么焦急。
2
- measure the depth of (water)测量（水）的深度：
an attempt to fathom the ocean.
测量海洋深度的尝试。
派生词
fathomable
adjectivefathomless
adjective词源
Old 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.