Capsizing

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process in which a watercraft tips over and becomes submerged due to losing its equilibrium
2. A scenario where a boat becomes inverted and subsequently sinks or is in danger of sinking
3. The act of a vessel overturning and potentially sinking as a result of instability or adverse conditions

Etymology: "Capsizing" is the present participle and gerund of "capsize", so the story belongs to the verb. The verb is first attested in 1788, and its origin is unknown. Its most plausible relative is the Spanish "chapuzar", meaning to sink by the head, though the link is not proven. The Spanish comparison is what gives the word its picture: a boat that goes over is essentially one that dives head-first into the water. That sense of plunging forward and down fits the verb's meaning of overturning, although the English word itself, in its earliest use, describes the boat being upset rather than the motion of sinking.

Synonyms: overturning, tipping