| 释义 |
float
I. \ˈflōt, usu -ōd.+V\ noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: partly from Middle English flote boat, fleet, float, act of floating, from Old English flota ship & Old English flot sea (as in on flote on the sea, afloat); partly from float (II); akin to Old High German flōz raft, stream, Middle Low German vlote raft, fleet, Middle Dutch, stream, fleet, Old Norse flot action of flowing, fat, floti raft, fleet; derivatives from the root of Old English flēotan to flow — more at fleet
1.
a. : the act or state of floating
< every float of her wide skirt — Christopher Morley >
b. : a slight displacement of the axis of a rotating body (as of the armature of a generator)
c. : a floating movement
< the slow float of clouds across the sky >
especially : an easy loping stride used by distance runners in the intermediate part of a race
2. : something broad and shallow and flat: as
a. obsolete : a brewing vat
b. : floatboard
c. : a floating tray for keeping shellfish (as crabs during shedding) in good condition until ready for marketing
3. obsolete
a. : a flowing or overflowing especially of the tide or a river in flood
b. : something that flows (as the sea or a wave)
4. : something that floats in or rests on the surface of a fluid (as to sustain a weight, mark the location of something submerged, or regulate a flow): as
a.
(1) : a cork or bob used to buoy up the baited end of a fishline and keep it at a desired depth
(2) : one of the cork, glass, or other floating devices attached to the edge of a fishnet to buoy it up
(3) : a floating indicator marking the position of something (as a lobster pot) beneath the surface of a body of water
b. : a flat-bottomed boat : raft
c.
(1) : a platform that floats and is anchored at or near the shore and used especially for landing or the convenience of swimmers
(2) : a support projected from each side of a small boat (as a canoe)
d. : a hollow metallic ball or similar object that floats usually at the end of a lever in a cistern, tank, or boiler and regulates by its elevation or depression the level of the liquid; also : a similar often horseshoe-shaped device in a carburetor of a gasoline engine
e. : an inflated bag or pillow used to support on a water surface the head or other part of the body (as of a person learning to swim) : life preserver
f. : an air-filled glass bulb used in a burette as an aid in measuring differences in the level of a liquid
g. : an air sac or other light structure containing air or gas serving to buoy up the body of a pelagic animal : pneumatophore 1
h. : a hollow vesicle found in certain algae (as of the genus Fucus) containing gases (as carbon dioxide) and serving to buoy up the plant
i. : a completely enclosed watertight structure fitted to an airplane to give it buoyancy and stability when in contact with a surface of water
5. : any of several devices used in dressing, finishing, or smoothing surfaces: as
a. : a flat-faced tool for smoothing and finishing a plastic surface (as of unset concrete, plaster, or stucco) that is either rectangular with a handle on the back by which it is hand manipulated or disklike for mechanical rotation
b. : float-cut file
c. : a usually handled block used for polishing dressed stone
d.
(1) : a platform of heavy overlapping planks cleated together that is drawn over soil to compact and smooth its surface, to improve its condition, or to crush clods — called also clod smasher, drag, planker, slicker
(2) : a frame of heavy planks used for leveling land for irrigation
6. : a trench for irrigation
7.
a. : loose fragmentary rock, mineral, or ore detached from an outcrop or vein by natural forces (as weathering or the action of water) and deposited downslope often at a considerable distance from the source
b. or floats plural but singular or plural in construction : finely divided mineral material (as pulverized rock phosphate or flaky ores) that tends to remain in suspension in water
< floats is often used as a filler in mixed fertilizer >
< float gold >
< asbestos floats >
8. : a grant by the government of a fixed quantity of land that is not yet located by survey out of a larger specific tract of land and that will be later located with certainty in accordance with law
9. floats plural : footlights
10.
a. : a portion of filling thread that passes over two or more warp threads or of warp thread that passes over two or more filling threads before interweaving; also : the passage of such thread
b. : a defective place in a fabric where warp and filling threads are not properly interlaced
c. : a portion of yarn that passes over several needles without interlacing and is usually brought to the front at intervals to make colored patterns in knitting; also : the passage of such thread
11.
a. chiefly Britain : a low underslung cart or platform on wheels used for drawing heavy loads
b. : a platform on wheels or a vehicle with a platform used as a base for a tableau or other exhibit in a procession; broadly : the entire unit of base and exhibit
12. : a contrivance for supplying a copious stream of water to the heated surface of an object of large bulk (as an anvil or die) that is undergoing tempering
13. : an amount of money represented at any one time by checks outstanding and in process of collection; especially : the amount of checks credited in a weekly statement to member banks of a system (as the Federal Reserve) but not yet collected by the crediting bank
14. : a drink consisting of ice cream suspended in a liquid (as root beer)
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English floten, from Old English flotian; akin to Old Norse flota to float; derivatives from the root of Old English flēotan to flow — more at fleet
intransitive verb
1. : to become buoyed up by a fluid: as
a. : to rest on the surface of or partly submerged in a liquid
< a needle will float on water >
< the boat floated away >
especially : to rest on one's back in water so that the face remains above the surface — often contrasted with swim
< he was a poor swimmer but could float for hours on quiet water >
b. : to become waterborne by the action of rising water
< the logs will float when the river rises >
— often used with off
< their boat floated off as the tide came in >
c. : to become suspended within the body of a fluid
< stars floating in the sky >
2.
a. : to move quietly and gently on, through, or as if on or through water or other fluid impelled by some external agent (as currents of the medium or gravity)
< the boat floated by >
< yellow leaves floating down >
< a flag floating in the breeze >
< rumors floated about >
b. : to move easily and smoothly as if floating in fluid
< she floated down the walk >
c. of a runner : to run easily and at less than top speed
< a distance runner learns to spell himself by floating in the midstretch >
d. of a tool or mechanical part : to remain virtually suspended in neutral position between contacts or limits set for motion : be free to move within limits
3.
a. obsolete : to seem to waver : move uncertainly to and fro : waver — often used with between
b. : to be unstable (as in political affiliation or morals) : lack fixity of purpose or determination
c. : to make frequent changes (as of one's abode or occupation)
d. : to drift often aimlessly or heedlessly
4.
a. : to fish with a float
b. archaic : to hunt deer at night from shallow boats
5. : to become connected but adjusted so as not to share in output — used of a storage battery on the line or of an idle grid in an electron tube
6. : to pass over or under two or more threads before interweaving
7. of a defensive end in football : to hang back to prevent the ball carrier from getting around the flank
transitive verb
1. : to cause to float: as
a. : to cause to rest on the surface of a fluid or to be suspended in and buoyed up by fluid
< the tide floated the ships >
b. : to move or cause to move through the surface of water usually by the action of an external agent (as a current)
< the stream floated the logs onto a sandbar >
especially : to convey to market by floating usually down a river or stream
< the upriver farmers float their produce down on flatboats >
c. : to cause to spread out on the surface of a liquid
< float the liqueur on the surface of the coffee >
< they float oil over the swamp to destroy mosquitoes >
d. : to support (a building or structure) on a mat or raft foundation when the ground has low supporting value
e. : to arrange (a mechanical part) to operate smoothly by floating or as if by floating in a liquid
f. : to mount (a mechanical part) especially in rubber so that vibration is not transmitted — see floating power
2. : to overflow with or as if with water : flood — used both of natural flooding and that undertaken for military or agricultural purposes
3. : to smooth or dress with a float: as
a. : to finish (as plaster or cement) with a float
b. : to work (land) with a float
c. : to smooth down (the teeth of an old horse) with a float
4.
a. : to obtain popular support or acceptance of (as a scheme or idea)
< careful publicity is often required to float a really novel plan >
b. : to offer (an issue of stocks or bonds) for sale in order to raise capital (as for beginning or expanding a business); also : to establish (as a company or enterprise) by floating securities
< hoped to raise enough money to float the company >
c. : negotiate
< the company hoped to float a loan at lower interest rates >
5. : to grind (as a pigment in water) as a refining or levigating process
6. : to solder the ends of (a tin can) — used with up
7.
a. : to pass (a thread) over or under two or more threads before interweaving
b. : to form (a figure in textiles) by floating threads
8.
a. : to connect (a storage battery) as a floating battery
b. : to join (electrical apparatus) at approximately equal potentials so that negligible current flows
9.
a. : to keep in a float (sense 2c)
b. : to bloat (as oysters or scallops) by soaking in water fresher than that in the native habitat in order to give an abnormal appearance of plumpness
10. slang : to cause (a petty offender or vagrant who may become a financial burden) to move out of a community especially by threats of legal action
III. noun
1. : the time between a transaction (as the writing of a check or a purchase on credit) and the actual withdrawal from funds to cover it
2. : the volume of a company's shares available for active trading in the auction market
IV. transitive verb
: to put forth (as a proposal) for acceptance |