sounder

¹ American  

[soun-der] / ˈsaʊn dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that makes a sound or noise, or sounds something.

2. Telegraphy. an instrument for receiving telegraphic impulses that emits the sounds from which the message is read.

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sounder ² American  

[soun-der] / ˈsaʊn dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that sounds depth, as of water.

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sounder ¹ British  

/ ˈsaʊndə /

noun

1. an electromagnetic device formerly used in telegraphy to convert electric signals sent over wires into audible sounds

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sounder ² British  

/ ˈsaʊndə /

noun

1. a person or device that measures the depth of water, etc

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Etymology

Origin of sounder¹

First recorded in 1585–95; sound ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of sounder²

First recorded in 1565–75; sound ³ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Now, the eurozone economy is on a sounder footing and inflation has been around the ECB's target for some time, she stressed.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Such tariffs may or may not be wise policy, but they would be on a sounder legal footing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

With a new stadium on the horizon and commercial deals continuing to be signed, the club believe they will be on a sounder financial footing for the next three-year PSR cycle.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

Deep Sea Vision had first put to sea in September 2023 from Papua New Guinea, launching a $9-million Hugin 6000 submersible equipped with a Doppler, a magnetometer, an echo sounder and a side-scan sonar.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2024

It is called multibeam echo sounder technology and it can provide a 3-D topographical map of the ocean floor and any structures, including shipwrecks, that are lying there.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler