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float
float / flōt/ • v. [intr.] 1. rest or move on or near the surface of a liquid without sinking: she relaxed, floating gently in the water. ∎ [tr.] cause (a buoyant object) to rest or move in such a way: trees were felled and floated downstream. ∎ be suspended freely in a liquid or gas: fragments of chipped cartilage floated in the joint. 2. move or hover slowly and lightly in a liquid or the air; drift: clouds floated across a brilliant blue sky | fig. through the open window floated the sound of traffic. ∎ (float about/around) (of a rumor, idea, or substance) circulate: the notion was floating around Capitol Hill. ∎ (of a sight or idea) come before the eyes or mind: the advice his father had given him floated into his mind. ∎ [tr.] (in sports) make (the ball) travel lightly and effortlessly through the air: he floated the kick into the net. 3. [tr.] put forward (an idea) as a suggestion or test of reactions. ∎ [tr.] offer the shares of (a company) for sale on the stock market for the first time. 4. (of a currency) fluctuate freely in value in accordance with supply and demand in the financial markets: a policy of letting the pound float. ∎ [tr.] allow (a currency) to fluctuate in such a way. • n. 1. a thing that is buoyant in water, in particular: ∎ a small object attached to a fishing line to indicate by moving when a fish bites. ∎ a cork or buoy supporting the edge of a fishing net. ∎ a hollow or inflated organ enabling an organism (such as the Portuguese man-of-war) to float in the water. ∎ a hollow structure fixed underneath an aircraft enabling it to take off and land on water. ∎ a device floating on the surface of a liquid that forms part of a valve apparatus controlling flow in and out of the enclosing container, e.g., in a toilet tank or a carburetor. 2. a platform mounted on a truck and carrying a display in a parade: a carnival float. 3. a hand tool with a rectangular blade used for smoothing plaster or concrete. 4. a soft drink with a scoop of ice cream floating in it: root-beer floats. 5. (in critical path analysis) the period of time by which the duration of an activity may be extended without affecting the overall time for the process. PHRASES: float someone's boat inf. appeal to or excite someone, esp. sexually: Kevin doesn't exactly float her boat. |
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"float." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "float." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-float.html "float." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-float.html |
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float
float vb. Late OE. flotian = OS. flotōn (MDu. vlōten), ON. flota :- Gmc. *flotōjan, f. *flot-, weak grade of base of FLEET3. Reinforced in ME. by, if not entirely due to, OF. floter (mod. flotter) :- Rom. *flottāre, prob. — Gmc. *flot-, floatation see FLOTATION,
So float sb. OE. flot sea. = ON. flot and OE. flota ship, fleet = ON. floti; various mod. uses are f. the vb. |
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T. F. HOAD. "float." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "float." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-float.html T. F. HOAD. "float." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-float.html |
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float
float n. a thing that is buoyant in water, especially a hollow structure fixed underneath an aircraft enabling it to take off and land on water.
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"float." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "float." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-float.html "float." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-float.html |
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float
float An operator or function that converts a number in fixed-point notation into an equivalent floating-point form.
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JOHN DAINTITH. "float." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN DAINTITH. "float." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-float.html JOHN DAINTITH. "float." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-float.html |
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Float
Floatof dancers: a company of female dancers—Lipton, 1970. |
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Cite this article
"Float." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Float." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300671.html "Float." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300671.html |
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float
float
•afloat, bloat, boat, capote, coat, connote, cote, dote, emote, float, gloat, goat, groat, misquote, moat, mote, note, oat, outvote, promote, quote, rote, shoat, smote, stoat, Succoth, table d'hôte, Terre Haute, throat, tote, vote, wrote
•flatboat
•mailboat, sailboat, whaleboat
•speedboat • keelboat
•dreamboat, steamboat
•lifeboat • iceboat • longboat
•sauceboat • houseboat
•rowboat, showboat
•U-boat • tugboat • gunboat
•powerboat • motorboat • riverboat
•workboat • Haggadoth • anecdote
•scapegoat • redingote • nanny goat
•zygote • redcoat • tailcoat • raincoat
•waistcoat • greatcoat • petticoat
•topcoat • housecoat • undercoat
•entrecôte • surcoat • turncoat
•matelote • banknote • headnote
•endnote • keynote • woodnote
•footnote • compote • whitethroat
•shofroth • bluethroat • cut-throat
•creosote • mitzvoth • mezuzoth
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"float." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "float." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-float.html "float." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-float.html |
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