Main Entry: ¹fath·om

Pronunciation: \ˈfa-thəm\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English fadme, from Old English fæthm outstretched arms, length of the outstretched arms; akin to Old Norse fathmr fathom, Latin patēre to be open, pandere to spread out, Greek petannynai

Date: before 12th century

1 : a unit of length equal to six feet (1.83 meters) used especially for measuring the depth of water —sometimes used in the singular when qualified by a number <five fathom deep>
2 : comprehension