英汉词典

fathom 基本解释

• vt. 看穿；彻底了解；测量…的深度
• n. 英寻（测量水深的长度单位）

fathom 词态变化

fathom 中文词源

来自PIE*pet, 展开，伸展，词源同feather, compete. 用作长度单位法寻，约略等于成人双臂展开长度。引申词义探索，彻底了解。

fathom 英文词源

fathom

fathom: [OE] The underlying etymological meaning of fathom appears to be ‘stretching out, spreading’. It probably comes ultimately from the Indo-European base *pot-, *pet-, which also produced Latin patēre ‘be open’ (source of English patent) and Greek pétalos ‘outspread’ (source of English petal). Its Germanic descendant was *fath-, which produced the noun *fathmaz, direct ancestor of Old English fæthm.

Here, the notion of ‘stretching out’ seems to have spread via ‘stretching out the arms’ to, on the one hand ‘embrace’ (and one meaning of Old English fæthm was ‘embrace, bosom’), and on the other ‘length spanned by outstretched arms’ – about six feet.
=> patent, petal

fathom (n.)

Old English fæðm "length of the outstretched arm" (a measure of about six feet), also "arms, grasp, embrace," and, figuratively "power," from Proto-Germanic *fathmaz "embrace" (cognates: Old Norse faðmr "embrace, bosom," Old Saxon fathmos "the outstretched arms," Dutch vadem "a measure of six feet"), from PIE *pot(ə)-mo-, from root *petə- "to spread, stretch out" (see pace (n.)). It has apparent cognates in Old Frisian fethem, German faden "thread," which OED explains by reference to "spreading out." As a unit of measure, in an early gloss it appears for Latin passus, which was about 5 feet.

fathom (v.)

Old English fæðmian "to embrace, surround, envelop," from a Proto-Germanic verb derived from the source of fathom (n.); cognates: Old High German fademon, Old Norse faþma. The meaning "take soundings" is from c. 1600; its figurative sense of "get to the bottom of, penetrate with the mind, understand" is from 1620s. Related: Fathomed; fathoming.

fathom 英文释义

1. a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth

2. (mining) a unit of volume (equal to 6 cubic feet) used in measuring bodies of ore

fathom 双语例句

1. I really couldn't fathom what Steiner was talking about.

我真搞不懂斯坦纳在说些什么。

来自柯林斯例句

2. We're trying to fathom out what's going on.

我们在尽力搞清楚发生了什么事情。

来自柯林斯例句

3. It is hard to fathom the pain felt at the death of a child.

丧子之痛是难以体会的。

来自《权威词典》

4. I can not fathom his meaning.

我不能彻底理解他的意思.

来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5. I'm having difficulty using my video editing equipment and can't fathom out the various connections.

我不会使用视频编辑设备，而且搞不清各种各样的连接。

来自柯林斯例句

fathom 实用场景例句

It is hard to fathom the pain felt at the death of a child.

丧子之痛是难以体会的。

牛津词典

He couldn't fathom out what the man could possibly mean.

他弄不清这个男人的意思。

牛津词典

The ship sank in 20 fathoms.

船沉在水下20英寻处。

牛津词典

(figurative)She kept her feelings hidden fathoms deep.

她把感情深深地隐藏在心中。

牛津词典

We sailed into the bay and dropped anchor in five fathoms of water.

我们驶进海湾，将锚抛进 5 英寻深的水里。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

I really couldn't fathom what Steiner was talking about...

我真搞不懂斯坦纳在说些什么。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Jeremy's passive attitude was hard to fathom.

杰里米的消极态度令人费解。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He dipped the stick into the water to fathom its depth.

他把棍条浸入水中,试探水的深度.

期刊摘选

Fathom shifts the scene, and appears in a new character.

法顿迁到另一个地方, 以一个新的角色出现.

期刊摘选

I can not fathom his meaning.

我不能彻底理解他的意思.

《现代英汉综合大词典》

I can't fathom out how to run the machine.

我弄不明白怎样开动这台机器.

期刊摘选

A thought struck her with such force she lay back to fathom its meaning.

忽然她有一个强烈的想法,并回来思考其意义.

期刊摘选

I can't fathom what you mean.

我不能领会你的用意.

期刊摘选

This success is not hard to fathom.

这次胜利很难说清有多大.

期刊摘选

A fathom is equal to six feet or 1.83 meters.

一英寻等于6英尺或1.83米.

期刊摘选

The difficulty was to fathom Miss Rachel.

问题就难在了解雷茜儿小姐的心意.

辞典例句

I cannot fathom what you mean.

我不懂你说的意思.

辞典例句

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

耶和华本为大,该受大赞美. 其大无法测度.

期刊摘选

I can't fathom him.

我摸不透他的心思.

期刊摘选

St. John's eyes, though clear enough a literal sense, a figurative one were difficult to fathom.

圣约翰的眼睛, 虽然就表面的意义来说,是够明净的, 可是就比喻的意义来说,却是难以探测的.

期刊摘选

The numbers are almost too large to fathom, so many Americans stop trying.

伤亡数字实在太大难以估算, 因此很多美国人乾脆放弃.

期刊摘选

Who can fathom the subtleties of the human heart?

谁能理解人心的奥秘 呢 ?

辞典例句

Another anchor was got ready, and dropped in a fathom and a half of water.

我们立刻准备好另一只船锚, 扔进了一寻半深的海水中.

英汉文学 - 金银岛

We cannot even begin to fathom the depth of God's love for us.

我们甚至不能探寻主对我们的爱到底有多深.

期刊摘选

Can you fathom it out?

你能想出是怎麽回事 吗 ?

辞典例句

Full fathom five thy father lies.

你的父亲躺在五噚深处.

期刊摘选

The race to reinvent the pig is not hard to fathom.

再创猪的竞赛也并非深不可测.

英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

Life and human destiny remains mysterious to Robinson; he could not fathom their secrets.

生活和人类的命运对鲁宾逊来说仍然是神秘的, 他看不透它们的秘密.

辞典例句

I can't fathom her out — she says one thing then does another.

我琢磨不透她─她说的是一套,做的又是一套.

《简明英汉词典》