Founder, as a verb, means to fail, collapse, or sink. Originally, it described a horse becoming lame or a ship sinking. The word stems from the Latin "fundus", meaning "bottom".
Founder, como verbo, significa falhar, colapsar ou afundar. Originalmente, descrevia um cavalo que se tornava coxear ou um navio que afundava. A palavra vem do latim "fundus", que significa "fundo".
| Word | founder |
|---|---|
| Date | April 15, 2018 |
| Type | verb |
| Syllables | FOUN-der |
| Etymology | Founder comes from Middle English foundren, meaning "to send to the bottom" or "collapse." That word came from the Middle French verb fondrer, and ultimately from the Latin noun fundus, meaning "bottom." When something founders, it usually hits the bottom in one sense or another. A foundering horse—that is, a disabled one—is likely to collapse to the ground. When a ship founders, it sinks to the bottom of the sea. Founder has a broader, figurative sense, too—if someone's marriage or career is foundering, it isn't doing well and is therefore headed downward. |
| Examples | As the vessel began to founder, the captain ordered everyone on board to prepare to abandon ship. "If you adore New York City, you can't stand Los Angeles—and vice-versa, or so the myth goes. But the Jennifer Aniston-Justin Theroux marriage, according to People, may have foundered on just that urban divide." — Michael H. Hodges, The Detroit News, 17 Feb. 2018 |
| Definition | 1 : to make or become disabled or lame 2 : to give way : collapse 3 : to become submerged : sink 4 : to come to grief : fail |
Tags: wordoftheday::verb
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