founder

FOWN-dur/ˈfaʊn.dɚ/UKFOWN-duh/ˈfaʊn.də/

Pluralfounders

Verbfounders, foundering, foundered

10 meanings of founder

Practice

1
nouncountable
A person who starts a company, group, or organization.
Like the person who plants the first seed that grows into a big tree.
The founder of the school still visits every year.
She is the founder of a small tech company.
Similarcreator, originator, architect, builder, initiator
Note
2
verbintransitive
To fill with water and sink below the surface.
Like a paper cup slowly filling with water until it sinks.
The old fishing boat began to founder in the storm.
Several ships foundered off the rocky coast that night.
Similarsink, submerge
Oppositefloat
Note
3
verbintransitive
To fail or break down completely after starting out.
Like a tower of blocks that falls over before you finish building it.
Their business plan began to founder after the first year.
The peace talks foundered over a single disagreement.
Similarfail, collapse, falter, fold, miscarry
Oppositesucceed, thrive, prosper, flourish
Note
4
verbintransitive
To stumble and fall, often becoming lame in the process.
Like tripping and hurting your leg so badly that you can barely walk.
The tired horse began to founder on the rocky trail.
Her pony foundered halfway up the steep hill.
Similarstumble, collapse, stagger, fall
5
nouncountable
A person who makes objects by pouring melted metal into molds.
Like someone who fills a jelly mold with liquid and lets it set into a shape.
The founder poured the bronze into the mold for the bell.
A skilled founder can cast a flawless statue in one pour.
Similarcaster, foundryman, molder
Note
6
noununcountable
A painful hoof disease in horses caused by swelling deep inside the foot.
Like a deep, painful sore inside a horse's foot that makes every step hurt.
The vet treated the pony for founder after it ate too much grain.
Founder can leave a horse lame for the rest of its life.
Similarlaminitis
Note
7
verbtransitive
To make a horse lame by causing swelling and soreness in its feet.
Riding the horse too hard on stony roads can founder it.
The careless owner foundered his pony with too much rich feed.
Similarlame, cripple
8
nouncountable
The worker in charge of a blast furnace and the melting of iron.
The founder watched the furnace temperature all night.
As founder, he decided the exact moment to tap the molten iron.
Similarsmelter, furnaceman
Note
9
nouncountable
A shared early ancestor that a whole group is descended from.
Like one grandparent whose special trait shows up in all the children born after them.
Scientists traced the gene back to a single founder centuries ago.
Every member of the group carries DNA from one founder.
Similarancestor, progenitor, forebear
Oppositedescendant
Note

Less common meaning

10
verbarchaictransitive
To make a ship fill with water and sink.
Like poking a hole in a toy boat so it fills up and sinks.
A storm this fierce could founder even the largest ship.
We found a strong Tide setting out of the Streights to the Northward, and like to founder our Ship.
1697, William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World.Here, founder means to make a ship fill with water and sink.
Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 9

It comes from an Old French word, and before that from a Latin word meaning a person who founds something.

Meanings 5, 8

It comes from a Middle French word, and before that from a Latin word meaning to pour, melt, or cast.

Meanings 2–4, 6–7, 10

It comes from a Middle French word meaning to send to the bottom, from a Latin word meaning bottom.