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Glite Dictionary
square fathom

square fathom

9.1
An area the size of a square six feet on each side
  • noun
  • /skwɛr ˈfæðəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : braza cuadrada
  • A square fathom is equal to 36 square feet.

Examples

  • The deck was measured at 20 square fathoms to estimate the timber required.

  • The total damage covered approximately five square fathoms of the ship's hull.

  • Divers descended to explore an area spanning several square fathoms.

  • The lake has a depth of ten square fathoms.

  • The lake has a depth of ten square fathoms, making it ideal for deep-sea diving.

  • The divers reported that the coral reef stretched over several square fathoms of vibrant marine life.

  • The area of the shallow waters was measured at approximately fifty square fathoms.

Surface Forms

square fathom singular
square fathoms plural

Morphology

square + fathom

The term is directly compositional: 'square' indicates an area formed by a square and 'fathom' names a unit of length, so 'square fathom' denotes the area of a square with one-fathom sides (an area unit, like 'square meter' or 'square foot'). This formation follows a regular and cross-linguistically common pattern for area units, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Square fathom comes from the old measure fathom, which is the distance between a person's outstretched hands, about 'six feet'. Imagine a square with sides of one fathom; that picture shows the unit's meaning — it is the 'area' of that square, so sailors used it to measure parts of a ship or the sea.