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founder

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
foun·der 1  (foundr)
v. foun·dered, foun·der·ing, foun·ders
v.intr.
1. To sink below the surface of the water: The ship struck a reef and foundered.
2. To cave in; sink: The platform swayed and then foundered.
3. To fail utterly; collapse: a marriage that soon foundered.
4. To stumble, especially to stumble and go lame. Used of horses.
5. To become ill from overeating. Used of livestock.
6. To be afflicted with laminitis. Used of horses.
v.tr.
To cause to founder.
n.
See laminitis.

[Middle English foundren, to sink to the ground, from Old French fondrer, from Vulgar Latin *funderre, from *fundus, *funder-, bottom, from Latin fundus, fund-.]
Usage Note: The verbs founder and flounder are often confused. Founder comes from a Latin word meaning "bottom" (as in foundation) and originally referred to knocking enemies down; it is now also used to mean "to fail utterly, collapse." Flounder means "to move clumsily, thrash about," and hence "to proceed in confusion." If John is foundering in Chemistry 1, he had better drop the course; if he is floundering, he may yet pull through.

found·er 2  (foundr)
n.
One who establishes something or formulates the basis for something: the founder of a university; the founders of a new nation.

founder1
n
a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc.
[see found2]

founder2
vb (intr)
1. (Transport / Nautical Terms) (of a ship) to sink
2. to break down or fail the project foundered
3. to sink into or become stuck in soft ground
4. to fall in or give way; collapse
5. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Veterinary Science) (of a horse) to stumble or go lame
6. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Veterinary Science) Archaic (of animals, esp livestock) to become ill from overeating
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Veterinary Science) Vet science another name for laminitis
[from Old French fondrer to submerge, from Latin fundus bottom; see found2]
Usage: Founder is sometimes wrongly used where flounder is meant: this unexpected turn of events left him floundering (not foundering)

founder3
n
(Business / Professions)
a.  a person who makes metal castings
b.  (in combination) an iron founder
[see found3]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.founder - inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse
inflammation, redness, rubor - a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat
2.founder - a person who founds or establishes some institution; "George Washington is the father of his country"
cofounder - one of a group of founders
coloniser, colonizer - someone who helps to found a colony
foundress - a woman founder
conceiver, mastermind, originator - someone who creates new things
3.founder - a worker who makes metal castings
bell founder - a person who casts metal bells
skilled worker, skilled workman, trained worker - a worker who has acquired special skills
Verb1.founder - fail utterly; collapse; "The project foundered"
go wrong, miscarry, fail - be unsuccessful; "Where do today's public schools fail?"; "The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably"
2.founder - sink below the surface
go under, go down, sink, settle - go under, "The raft sank and its occupants drowned"
3.founderfounder - break down, literally or metaphorically; "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice"
change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night"
implode, go off - burst inward; "The bottle imploded"
abandon, give up - stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims; "He abandoned the thought of asking for her hand in marriage"; "Both sides have to give up some claims in these negotiations"
buckle, crumple - fold or collapse; "His knees buckled"
flop - fall loosely; "He flopped into a chair"
break - curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves; "The surf broke"
slide down, slump, sink - fall or sink heavily; "He slumped onto the couch"; "My spirits sank"
collapse, burst - cause to burst; "The ice broke the pipe"
4.founder - stumble and nearly fall; "the horses foundered"
trip, stumble - miss a step and fall or nearly fall; "She stumbled over the tree root"

founder1
founder2
verb
1. fail, collapse, break down, abort, fall through, be unsuccessful, come to nothing, come unstuck, miscarry, misfire, fall by the wayside, come to grief, bite the dust, go belly-up (slang), go down like a lead balloon (informal) The talks have foundered.
2. sink, go down, be lost, submerge, capsize, go to the bottom Three ships foundered in heavy seas.
Usage: Founder is sometimes wrongly used where flounder is meant: this unexpected turn of events left him floundering (not foundering).
Translations
founder1 [ˈfaʊndəʳ]
A. N (= originator) → fundador(a) m/f
B. CPD founder member N (Brit) → miembro mf fundador(a)

founder2 [ˈfaʊndəʳ] VI (Naut) → hundirse, irse a pique (fig) → fracasar (on debido a)
founder [ˈfaʊndər]
nfondateur/trice m/f
vi
[ship] → couler, sombrer
[negotiations, talks] → échouer
founder member n (British)membre m fondateur
founding father n (= founder) [institution, organization, idea] → père m fondateur
Founding Fathers npl
the Founding Fathers → les pères mpl fondateurs
founder1
n (of school, colony, organization etc)Gründer(in) m(f); (of charity, museum)Stifter(in) m(f)

founder2
vi
(ship: = sink) → sinken, untergehen
(horse etc: = stumble) → straucheln, stolpern
(fig: = fail, plan, project) → scheitern, fehlschlagen; (hopes)auf den Nullpunkt sinken

founder3
n (Metal) → Gießer(in) m(f)
founder1 [ˈfaʊndəʳ] nfondatore/trice
founder1 [ˈfaʊndəʳ] nfondatore/trice
founder2 [ˈfaʊndəʳ] vi (Naut) (also) (fig) → affondare, colare a picco
founder2 [ˈfaʊndəʳ] vi (Naut) (also) (fig) → affondare, colare a picco


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The bicentenary loomed but a year ahead, and a movement was on foot to mark the epoch with an adequate statue of our pious founder.
For all which I shall not look on myself as accountable to any court of critical jurisdiction whatever: for as I am, in reality, the founder of a new province of writing, so I am at liberty to make what laws I please therein.
It was my advantage in one respect, that I did not know what they meant by FOUNDER till I inquired.
 
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