founder

¹

[ foun-der ]

noun

1. a person who founds or establishes something, as a company or institution.

founder

²

[ foun-der ]

verb (used without object)

1. (of a ship, boat, etc.) to fill with water and sink.
2. to fall or sink down, as buildings, ground, etc.:

   Built on a former lake bed, the building has foundered nearly ten feet.

3. to become wrecked; fail utterly:

   The project foundered because public support was lacking.

   Synonyms: flop, perish, sink, topple, succumb, collapse

4. to stumble, break down, or go lame, as a horse:

   His mount foundered on the rocky path.

5. to become ill from overeating.
6. Veterinary Pathology. (of a horse) to suffer from laminitis.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to fill with water and sink:

   Rough seas had foundered the ship in mid-ocean.

2. Veterinary Pathology. to cause (a horse) to break down, go lame, or suffer from laminitis.

noun

1. Veterinary Pathology. laminitis ( def ).

founder

³

[ foun-der ]

noun

1. a person who founds or casts metal, glass, etc.

founder

¹

/ ˈfaʊndə /

verb

1. (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. (of a horse) to stumble or go lame
6. archaic.
   (of animals, esp livestock) to become ill from overeating

noun

1. vet science another name for laminitis

founder

²

/ ˈfaʊndə /

noun

1. 1. a person who makes metal castings
   2. ( in combination )

      an iron founder

founder

³

/ ˈfaʊndə /

noun

1. a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc

Usage

Founder is sometimes wrongly used where flounder is meant: this unexpected turn of events left him floundering (not foundering )

Other Words From

• un·foundered adjective
• un·founder·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of founder¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English found(o)ur, foundere, fundre “original builder of a city, church, castle, or city; founder of a country,” from Anglo-French fundur, from Old French fondeor, from Latin fundātōr-, stem of fundātor; found ¹; -er ¹( def )

Origin of founder²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English foundren, funder, fonder, from Old French fondrer “to plunge to the bottom, submerge,” from Vulgar Latin fundorāre (unattested), derivative of fundor-, an s -stem noun interpreted as stem of Latin fundus, actually an o -stem noun (stem fund- ) “bottom”

Origin of founder³

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English foundour, founder, from Old French fondeur, from fondre “to melt, cast”; found ³, -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of founder¹

C13: from Old French fondrer to submerge, from Latin fundus bottom; see found ²

Origin of founder²

C15: see found ³

Origin of founder³

C14: see found ²

Example Sentences

Sophisticated, experienced firms like Boston Beer Company hardly know what to do about the now-struggling hard-seltzer market, but Happy Dad and its interloping founders are thriving.

From Salon

Paul Andrews, founder of Family Business United, says its members were shocked by the Budget.

From BBC

It was a selfie of a founder of the neo-Nazi groups in question, taken at a Trump rally.

From Los Angeles Times

In isolated populations like Sardinia’s, where inbreeding was common, such rare variants can become more frequent, a phenomenon called the founder effect.

From Science Magazine

You can also remove companies whose CEOs or founders have given money to Trump’s campaign.

From Salon

Related Words

• architect
• author
• benefactor
• builder
• creator
• designer
• inventor
• organizer
• patron
• planner