float /flōt/ intransitive verb- To be supported on or suspended in a fluid
- To be buoyed up
- To move lightly, supported by a fluid
- To seem to move in such a way
- To be free from the usual attachment
- To drift about aimlessly
- (of an employee) to move between different tasks according to short-term requirements
- To flow (Milton)
- To be flooded (Spenser and Pope)
- (in weaving) to pass threads without interweaving with them
- To use a float
- (of a currency) to be free to fluctuate in value in international exchange (economics)
transitive verb- To cause to float
- To cover with liquid (obsolete)
- To convey on floats
- To levitate
- To separate by flotation
- To smooth
- To pare off (eg turf)
- To launch (eg a scheme)
- To circulate (eg a rumour)
- To offer (stocks, etc) for sale to raise capital
- To launch (a company) by drawing up various documents and raising cash by selling shares
- To negotiate (a loan)
- To put forward for consideration
noun- A contrivance for floating or for keeping something afloat, eg a raft, the cork or quill of a fishing-line, the ball of a ballcock, etc
- A blade in a paddle wheel or water wheel
- A floating indicator attached to a fishing-line, that moves when a fish takes the bait
- A tool for smoothing
- A plasterer's trowel
- A low cart for carrying cattle, milk, etc or decorated as an exhibit in a street parade, etc
- A footlight or the footlights collectively
- Money in hand for a purpose such as to give change to customers, to provide for expenses, etc
- State of floating (Keats, etc)
- A wave (lit and figurative; obsolete)
- A soft fizzy drink with ice-cream floating on the top
ORIGIN: OE flotian to float; ON flota floatˈable adjective floatˈage or flōˈtage noun - Buoyancy
- Anything which floats
- Flotsam
- The part of a ship above the waterline
floatˈant noun An agent that causes something to float floatāˈtion noun same as flotation (see under flote) floatel noun see flotel floatˈer noun - A person or thing that floats
- A vagrant, or a person who drifts from job to job or allegiance to allegiance
- A person who performs different tasks as required (esp N American)
- A blunder (slang)
- A floating policy (US)
- A meat pie floating in pea soup (Aust)
- A dark speck that appears to float before one's eyes, caused by dead cells and fragments of cells in the lens and vitreous humour
floatˈing adjective - That floats, in any sense
- Not fixed
- Fluctuating
- Circulating
- Not clearly committed to one side or the other (politics)
noun- The action of the verb
- The spreading of plaster on the surface of walls
- Flotation therapy (see under flote)
floatˈingly adverb float'y adjective (of a garment or fabric) light and delicate floatˈ-board noun A board of an undershot water wheel or a paddle wheel float chamber noun A chamber in a carburettor in which a float controls the level of fuel float glass noun Glass hardened while floating on the surface of molten tin float grass or floating grass noun Floating meadow-grass (Glyceria fluitans) floating battery noun A vessel or hulk which is heavily armed, used in the defence of harbours or in attacks on marine fortresses floating bridge noun A bridge supported on pontoons floating capital noun (economics) - Goods, money, etc
- Capital not permanently invested
floating charge noun (law and economics) A fluctuating borrowing facility secured on the total assets of a company floating crane noun A large crane carried on a pontoon, used in docks floating currency noun (economics) A national (unit of) currency whose value is allowed to fluctuate freely in the international trading market floating debt noun (economics) (an) unfunded debt or short-term government loan floating dock noun A floating structure that can be sunk by admitting water to its air chambers, and raised again carrying a vessel to be repaired floating island noun - A floating mass of driftwood, or of vegetation buoyed up from the bottom by marsh gas, or anything similar
- A dessert consisting of meringues floating in custard
floating kidney noun An abnormally mobile kidney floating light noun A lightship floating-point notation noun (computing) The expressing of numbers as a fractional value (the mantissa) followed by an integer exponent of the base, eg ±0.34791×103 floating-point number noun (computing) A number so expressed floating-point operation noun (computing) The addition, subtraction, multiplication or division of two floating-point numbers floating policy noun An insurance policy covering movable property irrespective of its location floating rib see under rib1 floating vote noun The votes of electors who are not permanently attached to any one political party floating voter noun float plane noun A seaplane floatˈ-stone noun - A porous spongelike variety of silica, so light as to float for a while on water
- A bricklayer's smoothing tool
float tank see flotation therapy under flote |