Gasp vs Fathom - What's the difference?
gasp | fathom |
A short, sudden intake of breath.
(British, slang): A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper).
To draw in the breath suddenly, as if from a shock.
To breathe laboriously or convulsively.
* Lloyd
To speak in a breathless manner.
To pant with eagerness; to show vehement desire.
* Spenser
(obsolete) Grasp, envelopment, control.
(nautical) A measure of length corresponding to the outstretched arms, standardised to six feet, now used mainly for measuring depths in seas or oceans.
(by extension) Mental reach or scope; penetration; the extent of capacity; depth of thought or contrivance.
* Shakespeare
(archaic) To encircle with outstretched arms, especially to take a measurement; to embrace.
To measure the depth of, take a sounding of.
(figuratively) To get to the bottom of; to manage to comprehend (a problem etc.).
As nouns the difference between gasp and fathom
is that gasp is sigh, yawn; the act of sighing while fathom is (obsolete) grasp, envelopment, control.As a verb fathom is
(archaic) to encircle with outstretched arms, especially to take a measurement; to embrace.gasp
English
Noun
(en noun)- The audience gave a gasp of astonishment
- I'm popping out for a gasp .
Verb
(en verb)- The audience gasped as the magician disappeared.
- We were all gasping when we reached the summit.
- She gasps and struggles hard for life.
- The old man gasped his last few words.
- I'm gasping for a cup of tea.
- Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain.
References
Anagrams
* *fathom
English
Noun
(en noun)- Another of his fathom they have none / To lead their business (Othello, I.i. 151-2).
Synonyms
*(measure of length corresponding to the outstretched arms) braceVerb
(en verb)- I can't for the life of me fathom what this means.