flounder

English

An European flounder, Platichthys flesus.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊndə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Old Norse flyðra. Cognate with Danish flynder, German Flunder, Swedish flundra.

Noun

flounder (plural flounders or flounder)

1. A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder, Platichthys flesus.
2. (North America) Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.

Translations

Platichthys flesus

• Basque: platuxa latz (eu)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 川鰈 (cmn), 川鲽 (cmn) (chuāndié)

• Czech: platýs bradavičnatý (cs) m, flundra obecná (cs)
• Danish: skrubbe (da) c
• Dutch: bot (nl) m
• Estonian: lest (et)
• Finnish: kampela (fi)
• Greek: πλευρονήκτης (el) (plevroníktis) m, ψήσσα (el) (psíssa) f

• Hungarian: érdes lepényhal (hu)
• Irish: leith (ga) f, leadhbóg (ga) f
• Jèrriais: fliandre f
• Lithuanian: upinė plekšnė (lt)
• Norwegian: skrubbe (no) c
• Polish: tornia (pl), fląderka (pl) f
• Portuguese: linguado (pt) m, solha (pt) f
• Russian: речная камбала (ru) (rečnája kámbala) f
• Swedish: skrubbskädda (sv) c, flundra (sv) c

any flatfish

• Basque: platuxa (eu)
• Belarusian: камбала (be) (kámbala) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 比目魚 (cmn), 比目鱼 (cmn) (bǐmùyú)

• Czech: platýs (cs) m, kambala (cs) f
• Danish: flynder (da) c
• Dutch: platvis (nl) m
• Estonian: lestaline (et) (kala (et))
• Finnish: kampela (fi), kampelakala (fi)
• French: flet (fr) m
• German: Flunder (de) f
• Hungarian: lepényhal (hu)

• Japanese: ヒラメ (ja) (hirame), 平目 (ja) (ひらめ, hirame)
• Korean: 도다리 (ko) (dodari)
• Latvian: plekste (lv) f, bute (lv) f
• Lithuanian: plekšnė (lt)
• Norwegian: flyndre (no) c
• Polish: flądra (pl) f
• Portuguese: linguado (pt) m, solha (pt) f
• Russian: камбала (ru) (kámbala) f
• Scottish Gaelic: pacach-cearr (gd) m
• Swedish: plattfisk (sv) c
• Ukrainian: камбала (uk) (kámbala) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Asturian: xoyu (ast) m
• Italian: sogliola (it) f

• Latvian: plekste (lv) f
• Luxembourgish: Rubbel (lb) m
• Northern Sami: finddar, sánddat
• Spanish: platija (es) f
• Volapük: sgar (vo)

External links

• Flounder on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

Possibly from the noun. Possibly from founder or from Dutch flodderen (“wade”). See other terms beginning with fl, such as flutter, flitter, float, flap, flub, flip

Verb

flounder (third-person singular simple present flounders, present participle floundering, simple past and past participle floundered)

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

3. (intransitive) To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
   • Sir W. Hamilton

     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.

Usage notes

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 or failing).

Translations

to flop around

• Finnish: pyörähtää (fi)
• Greek: σπαρταρώ (el) (spartaró)

• Portuguese: debater-se (pt)
• Russian: барахтаться (ru) (baráxtat'sja)

to attempt to move or regain one's balance

• Finnish: kompuroida (fi)

• Greek: παραπαίω (el) (parapaío)
• Maori: tangaru (mi), tākaru (mi)

to act clumsily or confused

• Finnish: kompuroida (fi)
• Greek: παραδέρνω (el) (paradérno)

• Japanese: まごつく (ja) (magotsuku)
• Russian: сбиваться (ru) (sbivát'sja) impf., сбиться (ru) (sbít'sja) pf.