foundered

Verb

founder (third-person singular simple present founders, present participle foundering, simple past and past participle foundered)

1. (intransitive) To flood with water and sink.
   • We were not much more than a quarter of an hour out of our ship but we saw her sink, and then I understood for the first time what was meant by a ship foundering in the sea.1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC
2. (especially, intransitive) To fall; to stumble and go lame.
3. (intransitive) To fail; to miscarry.
   • All his tricks founder.1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio)...
4. (archaic, transitive) To cause to flood and sink, as a ship.
   • We found a strong Tide setting out of the Streights to the Northward, and like to founder our Ship.1697, William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, page 82
5. (transitive) To disable or lame (a horse) by causing internal inflammation and soreness in the feet or limbs.

See all 11 meanings of founder