---
title: fathom — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «fathom» in the school dictionary: To fathom something is to understand it fully after thinking hard. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# fathom

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** fathom, I, one, old man, He, sailors · **What happens:** fathom, be, think, measure, not fathom, lock · **To what, where:** something, old unit, depth, sea, door, riddle

<!-- .vabout -->
«fathom» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 5 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [fathom in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/fathom.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To fathom something is to understand it fully after thinking hard.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fathom:m1:1
# text = To fathom something is to understand it fully after thinking hard.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	fathom	fathom	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
3	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	understand	understand	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	fully	fully	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
9	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
10	thinking	think	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	ccomp	_	_
11	hard	hard	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	10	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fathom** | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer something=Stimulus |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | fully, understand *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **think** *speech: other* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | hard *property* | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A fathom is an old unit of length for measuring depth at sea, equal to six feet.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fathom:m2:1
# text = A fathom is an old unit of length for measuring depth at sea, equal to six feet.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fathom	fathom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	unit	unit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	length	length	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
9	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
10	measuring	measure	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	advcl	_	_
11	depth	depth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
12	at	at	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
15	equal	equal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	parataxis	_	_
16	to	to	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	six	six	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	18	nummod	_	_
18	feet	foot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a fathom | a old unit |  |  |  | of length | tree rules |
| 2 | **measure** | gerund | a fathom *not said here* | depth |  | sea |  |  | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP PP.value»: agent=Agent depth=Theme at sea=Value |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I cannot fathom why the door was locked.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fathom:x1:1
# text = I cannot fathom why the door was locked.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	fathom	fathom	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	door	door	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	locked	lock	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **fathom** | can | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **lock** | past · passive |  | the door |  |  |  |  | vn tape-22.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No one could fathom the old man's riddle.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fathom:x2:1
# text = No one could fathom the old man's riddle.
1	No	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	2	det	_	_
2	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	fathom	fathom	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	riddle	riddle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fathom** | could | no one | the old man's riddle |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer riddle=Stimulus |
| 2 | **riddle** |  | the old man |  |  |  |  |  | nom riddle «communication intransitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He fathomed the trick at once.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fathom:x3:1
# text = He fathomed the trick at once.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	fathomed	fathom	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fathom** | past | He | the trick |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer trick=Stimulus |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The sailors let down a rope ten fathoms long.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fathom:x4:1
# text = The sailors let down a rope ten fathoms long.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sailors	sailor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	let	let	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	down	down	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	rope	rope	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	ten	ten	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
8	fathoms	fathom	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl:unmarked	_	_
9	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **let down** | infinitive | the sailors | a rope |  |  |  | long *property* | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rope=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ten fathoms is about sixty feet.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fathom:x5:1
# text = Ten fathoms is about sixty feet.
1	Ten	ten	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	2	nummod	_	_
2	fathoms	fathom	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	about	about	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	sixty	sixty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	feet	foot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Ten fathoms | sixty feet |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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