Founder
WordNet
noun
(1) A person who founds or establishes some institution
"George Washington is the father of his country"
(2) A worker who makes metal castings
(3) Inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse
verb
(4) Stumble and nearly fall
"The horses foundered"
(5) 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"
(6) Sink below the surface
(7) Fail utterly; collapse
"The project foundered"
WiktionaryText
Etymology 1
From , from
Noun
- One who founds, establishes, and erects; one who lays a foundation; an author; one from whom something originates; one who endows.
Etymology 2
From , from
Noun
- The iron worker in charge of the blast furnace and the smelting operation.
- 1957, H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry, p. 161.
- The term 'founder' was applied in the British iron industry long afterwards to the ironworker in charge of the blast furnace and the smelting operation.
- 1957, H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry, p. 161.
Etymology 3
From , from
Verb
- Fill with water and sink.
- 1719: Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
- We were not much more than a quarter of an hour out of our ship but we saw her sink, and then I understood for the first time what was meant by a ship foundering in the sea.
- 1719: Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
- To fall; to stumble and go lame, as a horse.
- To fail; to miscarry.
Usage notes
Frequently confused with flounder. Both may be applied to the same situation, the difference is the severity of the action: floundering (struggling to maintain position) comes first, followed by foundering (losing it by falling, sinking or failing).