Chapter Floréal to Flourish of F by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

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.

Flounder
(Floun"der), n. The act of floundering.

Flour
(Flour) n. [F. fleur de farine the flower (i.e., the best) of meal, cf. Sp. flor de la harina superfine flour, Icel. flür flower, flour. See Flower.] The finely ground meal of wheat, or of any other grain; especially, the finer part of meal separated by bolting; hence, the fine and soft powder of any substance; as, flour of emery; flour of mustard.

Flour bolt, in milling, a gauze-covered, revolving, cylindrical frame or reel, for sifting the flour from the refuse contained in the meal yielded by the stones. — Flour box a tin box for scattering flour; a dredging box. — Flourdredge or dredger, a flour box. — Flour dresser, a mashine for sorting and distributing flour according to grades of fineness. — Flour mill, a mill for grinding and sifting flour.

Flour
(Flour), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Floured ; p. pr. & vb. n. Flouring.]

1. To grind and bolt; to convert into flour; as, to flour wheat.

2. To sprinkle with flour.

Floured
(Floured) p. a. Finely granulated; — said of quicksilver which has been granulated by agitation during the amalgamation process. Raymond.

Flourish
(Flour"ish) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flourished ; p. pr. & vb. n. Flourishing.] [OE. florisshen, flurisshen, OF. flurir, F. fleurir, fr. L. florere to bloom, fr. flos, floris, flower. See Flower, and - ish.]

1. To grow luxuriantly; to increase and enlarge, as a healthy growing plant; a thrive.

A tree thrives and flourishes in a kindly . . . soil.

Bp. Horne.

2. To be prosperous; to increase in wealth, honor, comfort, happiness, or whatever is desirable; to thrive; to be prominent and influental; specifically, of authors, painters, etc., to be in a state of activity or production.

When all the workers of iniquity do flourish.

Ps. xcii 7

Bad men as frequently prosper and flourish, and that by the means of their wickedness.

Nelson.

We say
Of those that held their heads above the crowd,
They flourished then or then.

Tennyson.

3. To use florid language; to indulge in rhetorical figures and lofty expressions; to be flowery.

They dilate . . . and flourish long on little incidents.

J. Watts.

4. To make bold and sweeping, fanciful, or wanton movements, by way of ornament, parade, bravado, etc.; to play with fantastic and irregular motion.

Impetuous spread
The stream, and smoking flourished o'er his head.

Pope.

5. To make ornamental strokes with the pen; to write graceful, decorative figures.

6. To execute an irregular or fanciful strain of music, by way of ornament or prelude.

Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish thus?

Shak.