n.
Pronunciation: ' fa- th ə m
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English fadme, from Old English fæthm outstretched arms, length of the outstretched arms; akin to Old Norse fathmr fathom, Latin pat ē re 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