Soundings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of measuring the depth of water by taking readings at various points
2. The recorded indications used to assess underwater topography or other characteristics of a body of water
3. The practice of gathering data on the ocean's depths for navigation or scientific purposes

Etymology: Sailors took soundings long before anyone had a word for the ocean floor. The practice was simple: drop a weighted line over the side, let it run out until it touched bottom, and read the depth from knots tied along the rope. The old English word "sundung" named this act of measuring depth. It came from "sund," meaning sea or strait, which is also the root of "sound" in the sense of a narrow channel of water, such as Long Island Sound. That "sound" is unrelated to the noise you hear, which comes from Latin "sonus." The plural "soundings" usually refers to the recorded measurements themselves, which appeared on charts as dots marking depth. A "lead" weight at the bottom of the line was often hollowed and filled with tallow, so that bits of sand or mud stuck to it and showed the seabed's composition. Figurative use came later. "To take soundings" now means to test the mood of a group or gauge public opinion before committing to a course of action.

Synonyms: measurements, depths, readings