fathom

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

fathom [fathom fathoms fathomed fathoming] verb, noun BrE [ˈfæðəm] NAmE [ˈfæðəm]
verb
to understand or find an explanation for sth
•~ sb/sth (out) It is hard to fathom the pain felt at the death of a child.
•~ (out) what, where, etc… He couldn't fathom out what the man could possibly mean.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
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.

Example Bank:
•He couldn't fathom out what the man could possibly mean.
•It's hard to fathom the pain felt at the death of a child.
•She knew he was angry with her, for some reason she couldn't fathom.

 
noun
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 Origin:
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.
 

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  fthm, sound, penetrate, bottom