found·er

1 [foun-der]
noun
a person who founds or establishes.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English; see found2, -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged

foun·der

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.
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)
7.
to cause to fill with water and sink: Rough seas had foundered the ship in mid-ocean.
8.
Veterinary Pathology. to cause (a horse) to break down, go lame, or suffer from laminitis.
noun
9.
Veterinary Pathology, laminitis.

Origin:
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

un·foun·dered, adjective
un·foun·der·ing, adjective


3. collapse, perish, succumb, topple, sink; flop.
00:10
Founder is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

found·er

3 [foun-der]
noun
a person who founds or casts metal, glass, etc.

Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English; see found3, -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To founder
Collins
World English Dictionary
founder1 (ˈfaʊndə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc
 
[C14: see found²]

founder2 (ˈfaʊndə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
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
 
n
7.  vet science another name for laminitis
 
usage  Founder is sometimes wrongly used where flounder is meant: this unexpected turn of events left him floundering (not foundering)

founder3 (ˈfaʊndə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a.  a person who makes metal castings
 b.  (in combination): an iron founder
 
[C15: see found³]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

founder
early 14c., from O.Fr. fondrer "submerge, fall to the bottom," from fond "bottom," from L. fundus "bottom, foundation" (see fund (n.)). Related: Foundered; foundering.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

founder foun·der (foun'dər)
v. foun·dered, foun·der·ing, foun·ders

  1. To stumble, especially to stumble and go lame. Used of horses.

  2. To become ill from overeating. Used of livestock.

  3. To be afflicted with laminitis. Used of horses.

n.
See laminitis.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
After all, without customers businesses founder and ultimately fail.
The founder of a large and growing family of sports.
Some genes that contribute to diseases can be traced back to what's known as a
  founder mutation.
The cult's founder apparently believed that the universe was a giant computer.
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