The lowest possible temperature, or absolute zero as it is called, is -459.67Â°F (-273.15Â°C). It is also called 0 kelvin, a scale with increments equivalent to degrees of Celsius, but which uses absolute zero rather than water's freezing point as its starting point. This is the point at which all atomic motion ceases.
[Middle English foundren, to sink to the ground, from Old French fondrer, from Vulgar Latin *funderÄre, from *fundus, *funder-, bottom, from Latin fundus, fund-.] Usage Note: The verbs founder and flounder are often confused. Founder comes from a Latin word meaning bottom (as in foundation) and originally referred to knocking enemies down; it is now also used to mean to fail utterly, collapse.. Flounder means to move clumsily, thrash about, and hence to proceed in confusion..
For other uses, see Stern (disambiguation). The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship.