LekhoriLekhoriA man's armspan, generally reckoned to be six feet (about 1.8 metres). Later used to measure the depth of water, but now generally replaced by the metre outside American usage.
[T]he ſhipmen deemed that they drew neere to ſome countrey: And ſounded, and found it twentie fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they ſounded againe, and found it fifteene fathoms.
A measure of distance to shore: the nearest point to shore at which the water depth is the value quoted.
After we'd rowed for an hour, we found ourselves stranded ten fathoms from shore.
An unspecified depth.
To measure the depth of (water); to take a sounding of; to sound.
To encircle (someone or something) with outstretched arms; specifically, to measure the circumference or (rare) length of something.
Often followed by out: to deeply understand (someone or something); to get to the bottom of.
From Middle English fathome, fadom, fadme (“unit of length of about six feet; depth of six feet for nautical soundings; (loosely) cubit; ell”) [and other forms], from Old English fæþm, fæþme (“encircl...
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I can’t for the life of me fathom what this means.