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fathoms

Nautical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Fathoms are units of measurement used to indicate the depth of water, typically equal to six feet.

Detailed Definition
In nautical terms, a fathom is a unit of measurement used to determine the depth of water, often employed in maritime navigation and fishing. The use of 'fathoms' in literature can evoke themes of depth, both literal and metaphorical. In the poem, the speaker's burial 'beneath that cold, white drifting sleep' suggests a profound immersion in the icy depths, enhancing the imagery of isolation and tranquility.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Beneath that cold, white drifting sleep — Sleep drifting deep, Deep drifting sleep…" (nautical measure of depth); "The anchor fell twenty fathoms down" (marine); "He sounded the fathomless deep" (metaphorical); "A fathom of grief lay between them" (emotional); "The fathoms of the ocean's heart" (mystery)
Additional Notes
The term 'fathoms' is used to convey the depth of the speaker's experience as he sinks into a state of sleep beneath the ice.; Found in the poem, The Ice Cart by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
Also Known As
depth measures six-foot spans nautical soundings ocean plunges
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