A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems equal to 6 feet, used especially for measuring the depth of water. The fathom is neither an International Standard unit, nor an internationally-accepted non-SI unit.
Why is it called a fathom?
The longest of many units derived from an anatomical measurement, the fathom originated as the distance from the middle fingertip of one hand to the middle fingertip of the other hand of a large man holding his arms fully extended. The name comes from the Old English faedm or faethm, meaning outstretched arms.
How do you measure a fathom?
Fathom
- There are two yards (6 feet) in an imperial fathom. ...
- The British Admiralty defined a fathom to be a thousandth of an imperial nautical mile (which was 6080 ft) or 6.08 feet (1.85 m). ...
- A shackle, a length of cable or chain equal to 121⁄2 fathoms (75 ft; 22.9 m).
