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foundering

foun·der
F f

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [foun-der]
    • /ˈfaʊn dər/
    • /ˈfaʊn.dər/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [foun-der]
    • /ˈfaʊn dər/

Definitions of foundering word

  • verb without object foundering (of a ship, boat, etc.) to fill with water and sink. 1
  • verb without object foundering to fall or sink down, as buildings, ground, etc.: Built on a former lake bed, the building has foundered nearly ten feet. 1
  • verb without object foundering to become wrecked; fail utterly: The project foundered because public support was lacking. 1
  • verb without object foundering to stumble, break down, or go lame, as a horse: His mount foundered on the rocky path. 1
  • verb without object foundering to become ill from overeating. 1
  • verb without object foundering Veterinary Pathology. (of a horse) to suffer from laminitis. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of foundering

First appearance:

before 1300
One of the 15% oldest English words
1300-50; Middle English foundren < Middle French fondrer to plunge to the bottom, submerge < Vulgar Latin *fundorāre, derivative of *fundor-, taken as stem of Latin fundus bottom

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Foundering

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

foundering popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

foundering usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

See also

Matching words

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