float

SayFLOHT/floʊt/UK/fləʊt/

Noun pluralfloats

53 meanings of float

1
verbintransitive
To stay on top of water or another liquid instead of sinking.
Like a leaf resting on top of a puddle instead of going under.
A cork will float even in a glass of water.
The children watched the leaves floating down the stream.
Similarswim, ride
Oppositesink
2
nouncountable
A light object that keeps something else up in water.
Like a cork that keeps a fishing line near the top of the water.
The fisherman watched the float bob on the water.
She tied a float to the net so it would stay near the surface.
Similarbuoy, bobber
Note
3
nouncountable
A decorated truck or platform shown in a parade.
Like a big moving stage that rolls down the street.
The school built a colorful float for the parade.
Children threw candy from the moving float.
4
nouncountable
A cold soda with a scoop of ice cream in it.
Like a drink and a dessert mixed into one glass.
She ordered a root beer float at the diner.
Nothing beats a float on a hot afternoon.
5
verbintransitive
To move slowly and gently through the air.
Like a feather drifting down slowly through the air.
The balloon floated up into the sky.
Feathers float when the wind picks them up.
Similardrift
6
verbtransitive
To suggest an idea so other people can think about it.
Like showing an idea to friends to see if they like it.
Let's float the idea at the meeting tomorrow.
She floated a plan to start the day earlier.
Similarpropose, suggest, raise, moot
Note
7
verbintransitive
To be able to stay on top of water without sinking.
Like a beach ball that never sinks no matter what.
Does this ball float?
Most plastics float in water.
Oppositesink
8
verbintransitive
To move along in the same direction as the water carrying you.
Like a leaf carried along by a moving stream.
Logs float down the river to the mill.
We floated gently toward the far bank.
Similardrift
9
verbintransitive
To move around without a clear plan or goal.
Like a balloon drifting wherever the wind takes it.
Some people float through life with no real plan.
He floated from town to town for years.
Similardrift, wander, roam
10
nouncountable
A soft foam toy that stays on top of the water in a pool.
Like a soft cushion that stays up in the pool.
The kids grabbed a float and jumped into the pool.
She rested her arms on a foam float.

11
verbintransitive
To stay up in a liquid or gas instead of sinking or falling.
Like a beach ball that pops back up when you push it under water.
A balloon full of helium will float in the air.
Ships float because of the way water pushes up on them.
Similarride
Oppositesink
Note
12
verbintransitive
To move in a smooth, graceful way.
Like moving smoothly along without any bumps.
The dancer seemed to float across the stage.
She floated into the room with a big smile.
Similarglide, sail, drift
13
verbtransitive
To make something drift gently through the air.
Like blowing a feather softly across the room.
Gently float the bubbles toward the children.
She floated a paper lantern into the night sky.
Similarwaft, blow
Note
14
verbtransitive
To make something stay up in a liquid instead of sinking.
Like adding salt to water so an egg stays on top.
Add salt to the water to float the egg in the glass.
They floated the logs down by tying barrels to them.
Oppositesink
15
verbcolloquialintransitive
Of a plan or idea, to be good enough to work.
Like a plan that holds together instead of falling apart.
That plan will never float without more money.
Her idea floated, and the team agreed to try it.
Similarfly, work
16
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To move around and be passed from person to person, like news or ideas.
Like a note passed from desk to desk around a classroom.
Gossip floated around school all day.
New ideas float between the kids quickly.
Similarcirculate, spread
17
verbintransitive
To have its value set by the market, not by the government, used about a country's money.
The country let its money float, so its value changes daily.
When currencies float, prices can change quickly.
Note
18
verbtransitive
To sell a company's shares to the public for the first time and list it on the stock market.
The owners want to float their company next year.
They floated the firm and sold shares to the public.
Similarlist
Note
19
nouncountable
A small amount of cash kept in a till at the start of the day so staff can give change.
Like keeping a few coins ready so you can give people their change.
She put a small float in the till before customers arrived.
The shop keeps a float so it can give change.
20
noununcountable
Money that has been promised but has not actually been paid out yet.
The business holds a large float of unpaid bills.
Money sitting as float can still earn interest.
Note
21
verbtransitive
To let a country's money rise and fall in value on the market instead of fixing its price.
The country chose to float its money.
They floated the currency to stop losing reserves.
Oppositepeg
Note
22
nouncountable
A group of logs or boards tied together and carried down a river by the water.
The workers tied the logs into a float.
A large float of timber moved slowly down the river.
Similarraft
23
nounBritishcountable
A small, slow vehicle used to deliver things nearby, such as milk to people's homes.
The milk float stopped outside each house.
An electric float carried the bottles down the road.
Note
24
nouncountable
A flat tool used to smooth wet concrete or plaster.
He used a float to smooth the fresh concrete.
A float makes the plaster flat and even.
25
verbtransitive
To get a cash register ready for the day, usually by putting starting change in the drawer.
She floated the till before customers came in.
Workers float the registers every morning.
Note
26
verbcolloquialtransitive
To lend someone a small amount of money for a short time.
Like spotting a friend some cash until they can pay you back.
Can you float me five dollars for lunch?
He floated me some cash until I got paid.
Similarlend, loan, advance, front
27
nounAustraliacountable
The sale of a company's shares to the public for the first time.
The company's float was a big success.
Many people bought shares in the float.
Similarflotation, IPO, listing
Note
28
noun
A type of number a computer stores that can have a decimal point but only limited accuracy.
29
verb
To not be tied to any fixed point that something is set or measured by.
30
verb
To set a part of a web page so that text wraps around it on one side.
31
noun
A web page style that moves an element to one side so text wraps around it.
32
verb
For a plane, to stay in the air too long when landing because it is going too fast.
33
verb
To change by itself when other related values change.
34
verb
To spread and smooth plaster with a flat tool.
35
verb
To smooth something with a rough tool like a file.
36
verb
To move something on a trailer.
37
verb
In poker, to call a bet with weak cards so you can bluff later.
38
noun
One of the flat paddles on a water wheel.
39
noun
A rough tool like a file, used to smooth things.
40
noun
Money in checks that have been written but not yet taken from the account.
41
noun
Money an insurance company holds before it has to pay claims.
42
noun
In poker, calling with a bad hand so you can bluff later.
43
noun
In weaving, a thread crossing at least two others in a row without going under.
44
noun
In knitting with two or more yarns, a loose piece of yarn carried behind the stitches.
45
noun
In basket making, a loose decorative rod on top of the weave.
46
noun
A big truck that carries cars.
47
noun
A low trailer for carrying heavy machines.
48
nounobsolete
A flow.
Hee being now in Float for Treasure.
1622, Francis, Lord Verulam
49
noun
A block used to polish marble.
50
noundatedUK
A cart for coal.
51
noun
A street dance trick with hands on the floor and the body stretched out level in the air.
52
noun
The air-filled bag that keeps some sea creatures afloat.
53
noun
In page design, a picture or table placed apart from the main text.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 5–9, 11–18, 21, 25–26

It comes from an Old English word flotian meaning 'to float', from older Germanic and Indo-European roots meaning to float, swim, or fly.

Meanings 2–4, 10, 19–20, 22–24, 27

It comes from an Old English word flota meaning 'sailor' or 'boat', from older Germanic and Indo-European roots.