flounder

English

A European flounder, Platichthys flesus.

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈflaʊndɚ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -aʊndə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Anglo-Norman floundre, from Old Northern French flondre, from Old Norse flyðra[1][2]. Cognate with Danish flynder, German Flunder, Swedish flundra.

Noun

flounder (plural flounders or flounder)

  1. A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder, Platichthys flesus.
  2. (Canada, US) Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.
  3. A bootmaker's tool for crimping boot fronts.
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Etymology 2

Possibly from the noun. Possibly from founder or from Dutch flodderen (“wade”). See other terms beginning with fl, such as flutter, flitter, float, flap, flub, flip

Verb

flounder (third-person singular simple present flounders, present participle floundering, simple past and past participle floundered)

  1. (intransitive) To flop around as a fish out of water.
  2. (intransitive) To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
    Robert yanked Connie's leg vigorously, causing her to flounder and eventually fall.
  3. (intransitive) To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
    • Sir W. Hamilton
      They have floundered on from blunder to blunder.
    He gave a good speech, but floundered when audience members asked questions he could not answer well.
    • 1996, Janette Turner Hospital, Oyster, Virago Press, paperback edition, page 136
      He is assessing directions, but he is not lost, not floundering.
Usage notes

Frequently confused with the verb founder. The difference is one of severity; floundering (struggling to maintain a position) comes before foundering (losing it completely by falling, sinking or failing).

Translations

References

  1. ↑ “flounder” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.
  2. ↑ “flynder” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Anagrams

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