Both Uses
fathom
in
Song of Myself
(Auto-generated)
- I am not an earth nor an adjunct of an earth,
I am the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and
fathomless as myself,
(They do not know how immortal, but I know.)†*fathomless = impossible to understandstandard suffix: The suffix "-less" in fathomless means without and reverses the meaning of fathom. This is the same pattern you see in words like harmless, fearless, and powerless. - Sermons, creeds, theology—but the fathomless human brain,
And what is reason?†
Definitions:
-
(1)
(fathom as in: can't fathom) understand something -- especially when it’s difficult or complex
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Fathom can also refer to a unit of measure for water depth (6 feet), or to the act of measuring the depth of water.