fathom FATH-uhm noun verb WS #18

a unit of length equal to six feet, used chiefly in measuring the depth of water

1. Sailors traditionally measured water depth in fathoms rather than feet.
2. The diving bell descended slowly through each fathom of dark water.
3. The ship's sonar indicated the ocean floor was thirty fathoms below.
4. The treasure chest was buried at a depth of ten fathoms beneath the waves.
5. The anchor was dropped to a depth of twenty fathoms.

to understand something deeply; to penetrate to the meaning or nature of; to comprehend

1. The complexity of quantum physics is difficult for most people to fathom.
2. It's hard to fathom how much the universe has expanded since the Big Bang.
3. The detective worked tirelessly to fathom the motive behind the crime.
4. She couldn't fathom why her best friend had suddenly stopped speaking to her.
5. He tried to fathom the true meaning behind her cryptic message.