From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Founder \Found"er\, n. (Far.)
(a) A lameness in the foot of a horse, occasioned by
inflammation; closh.
(b) An inflammatory fever of the body, or acute rheumatism;
as, chest founder. See Chest ffounder. --James White.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Founder \Found"er\, n. [Cf. OF. fondeor, F. fondateur, L.
fundator.]
One who founds, establishes, and erects; one who lays a
foundation; an author; one from whom anything originates; one
who endows.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Founder \Found"er\, n. [From Found to cast.]
One who founds; one who casts metals in various forms; a
caster; as, a founder of cannon, bells, hardware, or types.
[1913 Webster]
Fonder's dust. Same as Facing, 4.
Founder's sand, a kind of sand suitable for purposes of
molding.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Founder \Found"er\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Foundered; p. pr. &
vb. n. Foundering.] [OF. fondrer to fall in, cf. F.
s'effondrer, fr. fond bottom, L. fundus. See Found to
establish.]
1. (Naut.) To become filled with water, and sink, as a ship.
[1913 Webster]
2. To fall; to stumble and go lame, as a horse.
[1913 Webster]
For which his horse fear['e] gan to turn,
And leep aside, and foundrede as he leep. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
3. To fail; to miscarry. "All his tricks founder." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Founder \Found"er\, v. t.
To cause internal inflammation and soreness in the feet or
limbs of (a horse), so as to disable or lame him.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
founder
n 1: inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof
to the foot of a horse [syn: laminitis, founder]
2: a person who founds or establishes some institution; "George
Washington is the father of his country" [syn: founder,
beginner, founding father, father]
3: a worker who makes metal castings
v 1: fail utterly; collapse; "The project foundered" [syn: {fall
through}, fall flat, founder, flop]
2: sink below the surface
3: break down, literally or metaphorically; "The wall
collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The
roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave
under the weight of the ice" [syn: collapse, fall in,
cave in, give, give way, break, founder]
4: stumble and nearly fall; "the horses foundered"