| English > English | |
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| fathom | |
| 1. n. (obsolete) Grasp, envelopment, control. |  |
| 2. n. (units of measure, now usually nautical) An English unit of length for water depth notionally based upon the width of grown man's outstretched arms but standardized as 6 feet (about 1.8(nbsp)m). | |
| 3. n. (units of measure) Various similar units in other systems. | |
| 4. n. (figuratively) Depth of insight, mental reach or scope. | |
| 5. v. (transitive, archaic) To encircle with outstretched arms, especially to take a measurement; to embrace. | |
| 6. v. To measure the depth of, take a sounding of. | |
| 7. v. (transitive, figuratively) To get to the bottom of; to manage to comprehend; understand (a problem etc.). | |
| I can't for the life of me fathom what this means. | |
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