founder

Someone who starts a company, organization, or other lasting activity.

• The founder still runs the company.
• Its founders met at university.
• Who was the founder of this school?

How to use it: founder of something (She is the founder of a local charity.)

Similar words: creator, establisher

Common phrases: company founder, founder of something

Someone who makes metal objects by pouring hot liquid metal into shaped containers.

• A founder cast the bronze bell.
• The workshop employed several skilled founders.
• The founder poured hot metal into a sand mould.

Similar words: caster, metal caster

Common phrases: bell founder, type founder, bronze founder

A worker responsible for a large furnace that heats materials to produce iron.

• The founder checked the blast furnace.
• An experienced founder supervised the smelting process.
• The ironworks employed two founders to manage its furnaces.

Common phrases: iron founder, blast-furnace founder

A serious condition in horses in which the inside of the feet becomes swollen and painful.

• The pony developed founder last spring.
• The vet treated the horse for founder.
• Severe founder can leave a horse unable to walk.

Similar words: laminitis

Common phrases: severe founder, founder in horses

To fail or stop making progress because of serious problems.

• Their plans foundered through lack of money.
• The talks foundered when neither side would compromise.
• Without public support, the project may founder.

How to use it: founder on something (The deal foundered on a dispute over costs.)

Similar words: fail, collapse

Opposites: succeed

Common phrases: founder on something, plans founder

To make a boat or ship fill with water and sink.

• Huge waves foundered the boat.
• The storm foundered several fishing vessels.
• Water pouring through the damaged hull finally foundered the ship.

Similar words: sink, swamp

Common phrases: founder a ship, founder the boat

To stumble or fall, sometimes becoming unable to walk properly.

• The horse foundered on the rough track.
• His tired mount foundered and fell.
• The rider stopped when her horse began to founder.

Similar words: stumble, fall

Common phrases: founder in mud, founder on something