different between flounder vs flounderer

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?fla?nd?/
• Rhymes: -a?nd?(?)

Etymology 1

From Middle English flowndre, from Anglo-Norman floundre, from Old Northern French flondre, from Old Norse flyðra, from Proto-Germanic *flunþrij?. 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

• flounderling
• olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)
• summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus)

Translations

Etymology 2

Possibly from the noun. Probably a blend of flounce +? founder or a blend of founder +? blunder 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.

   • 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.

4. To be in serious difficulty.

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

• flounder at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• unfolder

Middle English

Noun

flounder

1. Alternative form of flowndre

English

Etymology

flounder +? -er

Noun

flounderer (plural flounderers)

1. One who flounders, who behaves clumsily without direction.
2. Someone who fishes for flounder.