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View synonyms for founder

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. vet science another name for laminitis
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

founder

2

/ ˈfaʊndə /

noun

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

      an iron founder

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

founder

3

/ ˈfaʊndə /

noun

  1. a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage

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

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

After Monday’s conversation with the co-CEOs of Gensler, I talked yesterday with Matthew Lock and Simon Pole, founder and global design director of Unispace.

From Fortune

He will replace Jeff Wilke, a longtime lieutenant to founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos.

From Fortune

Contrast that with founders who conduct an initial coin offering.

From Fortune

It was almost exactly one year ago when Patrick Byrne, founder and CEO of Overstock, resigned abruptly.

From Fortune

While they haven’t set any kind of timeline for when they might have a working device up and running, the founders of Universal Quantum told the BBC they are confident the technical capability exists to build the machine.

Since then, the app has gained over 165,000 users in more than 70 countries, according to its founder.

Check out a clip from this exclusive interview with SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace at the 2014 Savannah Film Festival.

No Labels co-founder and Daily Beast columnist Mark McKinnon is also an investor.

Fulkerson, the founder of the magazine who has hired March, is someone he can cope with.

The founder of Pan Am, Juan Trippe, knew how business was done in the Caribbean.

Their founder named them Minimos Fratres, as a special indication of humility.

Who was it but its founder, that led the Conservative party through these successive stages of triumph?

In that year the founder of the firm, Mr. Thomas Cook, arranged with the Midland the first public excursion train on record.

Walter Mildmay, an English statesman, died; founder of Emanuel college.

Not so had the founder, Colonel James Skinner, treated the religions of the people among whom he lived.

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foundation subjectsfounder effect