flounderとは 意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈflaʊndɚ/
• 韻: -aʊndə(ɹ)

語源 1

From Middle English flowndre, from Anglo-Norman floundre, from Old Northern French flondre, from Old Norse flyðra^[1][2], from Proto-Germanic *flunþrijǭ. Cognate with Danish flynder, German Flunder, Swedish flundra.

名詞

flounder (複数形 flounders または flounder)

1. A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder, Platichthys flesus.
2. (Canada, 米国用法) Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.
3. A bootmaker's tool for crimping boot fronts.

派生語

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

語源 2

Possibly from the noun. Probably a blend of flounce +‎ founder^[3] or a blend of founder +‎ blunder^[4] or from Dutch flodderen (“wade”). See other terms beginning with fl, such as flutter, flitter, float, flap, flub, flip.

動詞

flounder (三人称単数 現在形 flounders, 現在分詞 floundering, 過去形および過去分詞形 floundered)

1. (intransitive) To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
   • 1859–1860, William Hamilton, H[enry] L[ongueville] Mansel and John Veitch, editors, Lectures on Metaphysics and Logic […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, OCLC 648725:

     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.

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

4. To be in serious difficulty.
   • 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 159:

     Meanwhile bus and tram competition was causing the Central London Railway to flounder after its early success, and as for the City & South London ... that had always floundered.

使用する際の注意点

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 または failing).

参照

• flounder at OneLook Dictionary Search

アナグラム

• unfolder