The word for today is…

fathom (noun, verb) –

noun: a unit of length equal to six feet (1.83 meters) used especially for measuring the depth of water

verb:

1 : to measure by a sounding line
2 : to penetrate and come to understand

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Fathom comes to us from Old English fæthm, meaning “outstretched arms.” The noun fathom, which now commonly refers to a measure (especially of depth) of six feet, was originally used for the distance, fingertip to fingertip, created by stretching one’s arms straight out from the sides of the body. In one of its earliest uses, the verb fathom meant to encircle something with the arms as if for measuring and was also a synonym for “embrace.” In the 1600s, however, fathom took on the meaning of using a sounding line to measure depth. At the same time, the verb also developed senses synonymous with “probe” or “investigate,” and is now frequently used to refer to the act of getting to the bottom of something (figuratively speaking). As a noun fathom was used before the 12th century; the first record of its use as a verb is in 1607

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David is a retired surgeon originally from London who came to New Zealand twenty-seven years ago after being delayed in Singapore for thirteen years on leaving the UK. He was coerced into studying Latin...