Word of the Day - 09/27/26
fathom
/'fæðəm/(v.): measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line
The sailors used a lead line to fathom the depth of the uncharted waters.
(n.): a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth
The submarine descended to a depth of several hundred fathoms.
(v.): come to understand
She struggled to fathom the true implications of his decision.
Word Origin
The word 'fathom' originates from the Old English word 'fæthm' (or 'fathm'), meaning 'outstretched arms,' 'embrace,' or 'the space covered by the outstretched arms.' This in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic *faþmaz, meaning 'embrace' or 'outstretched arms,' which is related to the root *faþ- meaning 'to grasp' or 'embrace.' It was initially a unit of length, traditionally six feet, representing the distance between a man's outstretched hands. From this, the verb meaning 'to measure the depth of water' emerged, and later, its more common figurative sense 'to understand thoroughly' developed.
As a reminder, here are all of the words from this week:
malediction tangential diffident
fathom
See if you can remember all of this week's words! Here is a sentence that includes all seven, followed by a version that simplifies them to help you remember:
She couldn't fathom why the diffident artist would balk at displaying his work, even though he knew the critic's review would be cursory and likely a vapid, tangential comment rather than a full malediction.She couldn't understand why the shy artist would hesitate at displaying his work, even though he knew the critic's review would be brief and likely a dull, irrelevant comment rather than a full curse.