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( Fathom)
A fathom is a unit of length in the Imperial system (and the derived U.S. customary units). The name derives from the Old English word fæðm meaning 'a pair of outstretched arms'.[1][2] In Middle English it was fathme. Its size varied slightly depending on its base definition, either based on a thousandth of an (Admiralty) nautical mile or as a multiple of the imperial yard. There are 2 yards (6 feet) in a fathom.[3] One fathom is equal to In 1954 the United States and countries of the Commonwealth of Nations defined the length of the international yard to be exactly 0.9144 metres. With the adoption of the metric SI system the use of fathoms declined. The British Admiralty defined a fathom to be a thousandth of an imperial nautical mile (which was 6080 ft) or 6.08 feet. In practice the fathom was always regarded as exactly 6 feet. No conflict in the real world existed as depths on Imperial nautical charts were indicated in feet if less than 30 feet and in fathoms for depths above that.
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