Lexic.us

Definition of Flounder

1. Verb. Walk with great difficulty. "The children flounder to the playground"; "He staggered along in the heavy snow"

2. Noun. Flesh of any of various American and European flatfish.

3. Verb. Behave awkwardly; have difficulties. "She is floundering in college"

4. Noun. Any of various European and non-European marine flatfish.

Definition of Flounder

1. n. A flatfish of the family Pleuronectidæ, of many species.

2. v. i. To fling the limbs and body, as in making efforts to move; to struggle, as a horse in the mire, or as a fish on land; to roll, toss, and tumble; to flounce.

3. n. The act of floundering.

Definition of Flounder

1. Noun. A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder, ''Platichthys flesus''. ¹

2. Noun. (countable North America) Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae. ¹

3. Verb. (intransitive) To flop around as a fish out of water. ¹

4. Verb. (intransitive) To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance. ¹

5. Verb. (intransitive) To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Flounder

1. to struggle clumsily [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Flounder

1. To fling the limbs and body, as in making efforts to move; to struggle, as a horse in the mire, or as a fish on land; to roll, toss, and tumble; to flounce. "They have floundered on from blunder to blunder." (Sir W. Hamilton) Origin: Cf. D. Flodderen to flap, splash through mire, E. Flounce, v.i, and flounder the fish. 1. A flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, of many species. The common English flounder is Pleuronectes flesus. There are several common American species used as food; as the smooth flounder (P. Glabra); the rough or winter flounder (P. Americanus); the summer flounder, or plaice (Paralichthys dentatus), Atlantic coast; and the starry flounder (Pleuronectes stellatus). 2. A tool used in crimping boot fronts. Origin: Cf. Sw. Flundra; akin to Dan. Flynder, Icel. Flyra, G. Flunder, and perh. To E. Flounder, v.i. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Flounder

flotsams flotson flotsons flotten floud flounce flounced flounces flouncier flounciest

flouncily flouncing flouncingly flouncings flouncy flounder (current term) floundered flounderer flounderers floundering

flounderingly flounderlike flounders flour flour beetle flour bin flour corn flour gold flour mill flour treatment agent

Literary usage of Flounder

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. American Food and Game Fishes: A Popular Account of All the Species Found in by David Starr Jordan, Barton Warren Evermann (1902)
"This small flounder is found on our Atlantic Coast from New York to Labrador and is not ... This is the winter flounder or common flatfish, P. americanus. ..."

2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History by American Museum of Natural History (1914)
"... SPECIMENS OF THE SUMMER flounder, ... an example of the southern flounder, ... specimens of the summer flounder, ..."

3. The American Cyclopaedia: A Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge by George Ripley, Charles Anderson Dana (1883)
"The common flounder of Massachusetts (P. plana, Mitch.) varies in length from 10 to 22 in., ... The distortion of the flounder family admirably adapts ..."

4. A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, Obsolete Phrases, Proverbs by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps (1889)
"A flounder. Suffolk. ... Washy; tender; weak. Also,Ugh* in morals. North. FLUKE. (1) Waste cotton. Lane. (3) A flounder. ..."

5. The Picayune Creole Cook Book (1922)
"flounder. Bolt The Creoles gave to the flounder. one of the finest fish found in the waters of the Mexican Gulf, the French name "Sole," because while the ..."

6. Fishes of Australia: A Popular and Systematic Guide to the Study of the by David George Stead (1906)
"The Large-toothed flounder is one of the commonest of the flounders of New South Wales and Queensland. It has an immense geographical distribution; ..."

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