flounder

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
2. v. To move or act clumsily and in confusion. See Synonyms at blunder. See Usage Note at founder¹.
3. n. The act of floundering.
4. n. Any of various marine flatfishes of the families Bothidae and Pleuronectidae, which include important food fishes.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To make clumsy efforts with the limbs and body when hampered in some manner; struggle awkwardly or impotently; toss; tumble about, as in mire or snow.
2. Figuratively, to grope uncertainly or confusedly, as for ideas or facts; speak or act with imperfect knowledge or discernment; make awkward or abortive efforts for extrication from errors of speech or conduct.
3. n. The act of struggling or splashing about, as in mire or other hampering medium: as, with a desperate flounder he freed himself.
4. n. A flatfish; a fish of the family Pleuronectidæ. The name applies to some or any such fish.
5. n. A tool whose edge is used to stretch the leather for a boot-front on a blocking-board.

Wiktionary

1. v. intransitive To flop around as a fish out of water.
2. v. intransitive To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
3. v. intransitive To act clumsily or confused; to struggle or be flustered.
4. n. A European species of flatfish having dull brown colouring with reddish-brown blotches; fluke, European flounder, Platichthys flesus.
5. n. North America Any of various flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae or Bothidae.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) A flatfish of the family Pleuronectidæ, of many species.
2. n. (Bootmaking) A tool used in crimping boot fronts.
3. v. 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.
4. n. The act of floundering.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. walk with great difficulty
2. n. flesh of any of various American and European flatfish
3. v. behave awkwardly; have difficulties
4. n. any of various European and non-European marine flatfish