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🧠 Easy to understand 🌊 Able to measure
fathomable

fathomable

6.9
Can be measured to find how deep water is
  • adjective
  • /ˈfæðəməbl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : medible
  • Only the harbor's fathomable channels allowed large ships to anchor safely.

Examples

  • The river was surprisingly fathomable despite its dark, murky waters.

  • Is the depth of the lake fathomable?

  • Early explorers sought fathomable passages through the dangerous reefs.

  • The ocean is fathomable in this region.

  • The sailors were relieved to find fathomable waters that would allow them to navigate safely through the reef.

  • The depths of the bay are fathomable, making it suitable for large vessels to dock without fear of groundings.

  • Scientists determined that certain areas of the ocean are fathomable, enabling accurate depth measurements.

Synonyms

plumbable
vsfathomable
  • Specialized
9.9

You can measure how deep water or a hole is

is the standard term with identical meaning
soundable
vsfathomable
  • Archaic
9.1

You can measure the depth with a line or measuring tool

is the broader term not restricted to one measuring method

Antonyms

unfathomable
23 8.6

Very hard to understand or measure how deep something is

How Measurable

measurable
41 3.7
fathomable
  • Specialized
6.9
immeasurable
14 5.5

Surface Forms

fathomable positive

Morphology

fathomable = fathom (transparent) = fathom + able

The meaning is directly derived from 'fathom' with the suffix '-able', indicating the ability to be measured.

Etymology

Fathomable comes from the old English root fathom, which meant 'embrace' or 'outstretched arms' and was later used by sailors as a way to measure depth with a rope or the spread of the arms. So a channel that is fathomable is one whose depth can be measured.