fathom

/ˈfæðəm/noun

A grasp or hold on something; the reach of one's understanding or control.

Example sentence

“The true cause of the disaster lies beyond our fathom.”

As a verb it is almost always negative: 'I can't fathom why', meaning the reason is beyond understanding. Also a sailor's unit of water depth, six feet.

Related words

fatigueDeep tiredness brought on by hard physical or mental effort.fatherA man who has a child, whether by birth, adoption, fostering, or raising the child as his own.faucetA fitting with a valve, such as a kitchen or bathroom tap, used to start and stop the flow of water or another liquid.fastidiousPaying extremely close attention to detail and wanting everything to be exactly right.fearlessFeeling or showing no fear; brave.fascinateTo hold someone's attention completely by being extremely interesting or attractive.