Definitions for float
floʊtfloat

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. floatnoun

   the time interval between the deposit of a check in a bank and its payment

2. floatnoun

   the number of shares outstanding and available for trading by the public

3. ice-cream soda, ice-cream float, floatnoun

   a drink with ice cream floating in it

4. floatnoun

   an elaborate display mounted on a platform carried by a truck (or pulled by a truck) in a procession or parade

5. float, plasterer's floatnoun

   a hand tool with a flat face used for smoothing and finishing the surface of plaster or cement or stucco

6. floatnoun

   something that floats on the surface of water

7. air bladder, swim bladder, floatverb

   an air-filled sac near the spinal column in many fishes that helps maintain buoyancy

8. float, drift, be adrift, blowverb

   be in motion due to some air or water current

   "The leaves were blowing in the wind"; "the boat drifted on the lake"; "The sailboat was adrift on the open sea"; "the shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore"

9. float, swimverb

   be afloat either on or below a liquid surface and not sink to the bottom

10. floatverb

    set afloat

    "He floated the logs down the river"; "The boy floated his toy boat on the pond"

11. floatverb

    circulate or discuss tentatively; test the waters with

    "The Republicans are floating the idea of a tax reform"

12. floatverb

    move lightly, as if suspended

    "The dancer floated across the stage"

13. floatverb

    put into the water

    "float a ship"

14. floatverb

    make the surface of level or smooth

    "float the plaster"

15. floatverb

    allow (currencies) to fluctuate

    "The government floated the ruble for a few months"

16. floatverb

    convert from a fixed point notation to a floating point notation

    "float data"

GCIDE(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Floatnoun

   (Banking) The free use of money for a time between occurrence of a transaction (such as depositing a check or a purchase made using a credit card), and the time when funds are withdrawn to cover the transaction; also, the money made available between transactions in that manner.

2. Floatnoun

   a vehicle on which an exhibit or display is mounted, driven or pulled as part of a parade. The float often is based on a large flat platform, and may contain a very elaborate structure with a tableau or people.

3. Floatnoun

   Anything which floats or rests on the surface of a fluid, as to sustain weight, or to indicate the height of the liquid surface, or mark the place of, something. Specifically: (a) A mass of timber or boards fastened together, and conveyed down a stream by the current; a raft. (b) The hollow, metallic ball of a self-acting faucet, which floats upon the water in a cistern or boiler. (c) The cork or quill used in angling, to support the bait line, and indicate the bite of a fish. (d) Anything used to buoy up whatever is liable to sink; an inflated bag or pillow used by persons learning to swim; a life preserver. (e) The hollow, metallic ball which floats on the fuel in the fuel tank of a vehicle to indicate the level of the fuel surface, and thus the amount of fuel remaining. (f) A hollow elongated tank mounted under the wing of a seaplane which causes the plane to float when resting on the surface of the water.

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. floatnoun

   A buoyant device used to support something in water or another liquid.

   Attach the float and the weight to the fishing line, above the hook.

2. floatnoun

   A tool similar to a rasp, used in various trades

3. floatnoun

   A sort of trowel used for finishing concrete surfaces.

   When pouring a new driveway, you can use a two-by-four as a float.

4. floatnoun

   An elaborately decorated trailer or vehicle, intended for display in a parade or pageant.

   That float covered in roses is very pretty.

5. floatnoun

   A small battery-powered vehicle used for local deliveries, especially in the term milk float.

6. floatnoun

   Funds committed to be paid but not yet paid.

   Our bank does a nightly sweep of accounts, to adjust the float so we stay within our reserves limit.

7. floatnoun

   An offering of shares in a company (or units in a trust) to members of the public, normally followed by a listing on a stock exchange.

   2006, You don't actually need a broker to buy shares in a float when a company is about to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. uE00026976uE001 Australian Securities and Investments Commission financial tips article, Buying shares in a float

8. floatnoun

   The total amount of checks/cheques or other drafts written against a bank account but not yet cleared and charged against the account.

   No sir, your current float is not taken into account, when assets are legally garnished.

9. floatnoun

   Premiums taken in but not yet paid out.

   We make a lot of interest from our nightly float.

10. floatverb

    Of an object or substance, to be supported by a liquid of greater density than the object so as that part of the object or substance remains above the surface.

11. floatverb

    To cause something to be suspended in a liquid of greater density; as, to float a boat.

12. floatverb

    To be capable of floating.

13. floatverb

    To move in a particular direction with the liquid in which one is floating

    I'd love to just float downstream.

14. floatverb

    To drift or wander aimlessly.

15. floatverb

    To drift gently through the air.

    The balloon floated off into the distance.

16. floatverb

    To move in a fluid manner.

    The dancer floated gracefully around the stage.

17. floatverb

    (of an idea or scheme) To be viable.

    That's a daft idea... it'll never float.

18. floatverb

    To propose (an idea) for consideration.

    I floated the idea of free ice-cream on Fridays, but no one was interested.

19. floatnoun

    Short form of floating-point number.

    That routine should not have used an int; it should be a float.

20. floatnoun

    A soft beverage with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream floating in it.

    It's true - I don't consider anything other than root-beer with vanilla ice-cream to be a "real" float.

21. floatnoun

    A small sum of money put in a cashier's till at the start of business to enable change to be made.

22. floatnoun

    A maneuver where a player calls on the flop or turn with a weak hand, with the intention of bluffing after the next community card.

23. floatverb

    To automatically adjust a parameter as related parameters change.

24. floatverb

    (of currencies) To have an exchange value determined by the markets as opposed to by rule.

    The yen floats against the dollar.

25. floatverb

    To allow (the exchange value of a currency) to be determined by the markets.

26. floatverb

    To issue or sell shares in a company (or units in a trust) to members of the public, followed by listing on a stock exchange.

27. floatverb

    To use a float (tool).

    It is time to float this horse's teeth.

28. floatverb

    To perform a float.

29. Etymology: From floten, from flotian, from flutōnan, from pleud-. Cognate with vloten, vlotten, Middle Dutch vloten, Old Norse flota, Icelandic fljóta, fleotan.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Floatnoun

   Etymology: from the verb.

   1. The act of flowing; the flux; the contrary to the ebb. A sense now out of use.

   Our trust in the Almighty is, that with us contentions are now at their highest float. Richard Hooker, Preface.

   Of this kind is some disposition of bodies to rotation, particularly from East to West; of which kind we conceive the main float and refloat of the sea is, which is by consent of the universe, as part of the diurnal motion. Francis Bacon, Nat. History.

   2. Any body so contrived or formed as to swim upon the water.

   They took it for a ship, and, as it came nearer, for a boat; but it proved a float of weeds and rushes. Roger L'Estrange, Fables.

   A passage for the weary people make;
   With osier floats the standing water strow,
   Of massy stones make bridges, if it flow. John Dryden, Virgil.

   3. The cork or quill by which the angler discovers the bite of a fish.

   You will find this to be a very choice bait, sometimes casting a little of it into the place where your float swims. Izaak Walton.

   4. A cant word for a level.

   Banks are measured by the float or floor, which is eighteen foot square, and one deep. John Mortimer, Husbandry.

2. To Floatverb

   To cover with water.

   Proud Pactolus floats the fruitful lands,
   And leaves a rich manure of golden sands. John Dryden, Æn.

   Venice looks, at a distance, like a great town half floated by a deluge. Joseph Addison, Remarks on Italy.

   Now smoaks with show’rs the misty mountain-ground,
   And floated fields lie undistinguish’d round. Alexander Pope, Statius.

   The vast parterres a thousand hands shall make:
   Lo! Cobham comes, and floats them with a lake. Alexander Pope.

3. To FLOATverb

   Etymology: flotter, French.

   1. To swim on the surface of the water.

   When the sea was calm, all boats alike
   Shew’d mastership in floating. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   The ark no more now floats, but seems on ground,
   Fast on the top of some high mountain fix’d. John Milton, P. L.

   That men, being drowned and sunk, do float the ninth day, when their gall breaketh, are popular affirmations. Brown.

   Three blust’ring nights, born by the southern blast,
   I floated; and discover’d land at last. John Dryden, Æn. b. vi.

   His rosy wreath was dropt not long before,
   Born by the tide of wine, and floating on the floor. Dryden.

   On frothy billows thousands float the stream,
   In cumb’rous mail, with love of farther shore. Phillips.

   Carp are very apt to float away with fresh water. John Mortimer.

   2. To move without labour in a fluid.

   What divine monsters, O ye gods, were these
   That float in air, and fly upon the seas! John Dryden, Ind. Emp.

   Swift they descend, with wing to wing conjoin’d,
   Stretch their broad plumes, and float upon the wind. Alexander Pope.

   3. To pass with a light irregular course.

   Floating visions make not deep impressions enough to leave in the mind clear, distinct, lasting ideas. John Locke.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Floatverb

   anything which floats or rests on the surface of a fluid, as to sustain weight, or to indicate the height of the surface, or mark the place of, something

2. Floatverb

   a mass of timber or boards fastened together, and conveyed down a stream by the current; a raft

3. Floatverb

   the hollow, metallic ball of a self-acting faucet, which floats upon the water in a cistern or boiler

4. Floatverb

   the cork or quill used in angling, to support the bait line, and indicate the bite of a fish

5. Floatverb

   anything used to buoy up whatever is liable to sink; an inflated bag or pillow used by persons learning to swim; a life preserver

6. Floatverb

   a float board. See Float board (below)

7. Floatverb

   a contrivance for affording a copious stream of water to the heated surface of an object of large bulk, as an anvil or die

8. Floatverb

   the act of flowing; flux; flow

9. Floatverb

   a quantity of earth, eighteen feet square and one foot deep

10. Floatverb

    the trowel or tool with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled and smoothed

11. Floatverb

    a polishing block used in marble working; a runner

12. Floatverb

    a single-cut file for smoothing; a tool used by shoemakers for rasping off pegs inside a shoe

13. Floatverb

    a coal cart

14. Floatverb

    the sea; a wave. See Flote, n

15. Floatnoun

    to rest on the surface of any fluid; to swim; to be buoyed up

16. Floatnoun

    to move quietly or gently on the water, as a raft; to drift along; to move or glide without effort or impulse on the surface of a fluid, or through the air

17. Floatverb

    to cause to float; to cause to rest or move on the surface of a fluid; as, the tide floated the ship into the harbor

18. Floatverb

    to flood; to overflow; to cover with water

19. Floatverb

    to pass over and level the surface of with a float while the plastering is kept wet

20. Floatverb

    to support and sustain the credit of, as a commercial scheme or a joint-stock company, so as to enable it to go into, or continue in, operation

21. Etymology: [OE. flotien, flotten, AS. flotian to float, swim, fr. fletan. See Float, n.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Float

   A float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as those of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Carnival of Viareggio, the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the 500 Festival Parade in Indianapolis, the United States Presidential Inaugural Parade, and the Tournament of Roses Parade. For the latter event, floats are decorated entirely in flowers or other plant material.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Float

   flōt, v.i. to swim on a liquid: to be buoyed up: to move lightly and irregularly: to circulate, as a rumour: to drift about aimlessly.—v.t. to cause to swim: to cover with water: to set agoing.—n. anything swimming on water: a raft: the cork or quill on a fishing-line: a plasterer's trowel.—adj. Float′able.—ns. Float′age, Flot′age, the floating capacity of a thing: anything that floats; Float′-board, a board on the rim of an undershot water-wheel on which the water acts and moves the wheel; Float′er.—adj. Float′ing, swimming: not fixed: circulating.—n. action of the verb float: the spreading of plaster on the surface of walls.—ns. Float′ing-batt′ery, a vessel or hulk heavily armed, used in the defence of harbours or in attacks on marine fortresses; Float′ing-bridge, a bridge of rafts or beams of timber lying on the surface of the water; Float′ing-dock (see Dock); Float′ing-is′land, an aggregation of driftwood, roots, &c., capable of bearing soil, floated out from a river delta or the like; Float′ing-light, a ship, bearing a light, moored on sunken rocks, to warn seamen of danger.—adv. Float′ingly.—n. Float′-stone, a porous, sponge-like variety of quartz, so light as to float for a while on water.—adj. Float′y. [A.S. flotian, to float; Ice. flota.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. float

   [Anglo-Saxon fleot or fleet]. A place where vessels float, as at Northfleet. Also, the inner part of a ship-canal. In wet-docks ships are kept afloat while loading and discharging cargo. Two double gates, having a lock between them, allow the entry and departure of vessels without disturbing the inner level. Also, a raft or quantity of timber fastened together, to be floated along a river by a tide or current.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. float

   Song lyrics by float -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by float on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Artifact
   • Convert
   • Display
   • Drink
   • Hand Tool
   • Launch
   • Masonry
   • Move
   • Smooth
   • Stock
   • Test
   • Time Interval
   • Transport
   • Travel
   • Value

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'float' in Verbs Frequency: #735

Anagrams for float »

1. aloft

2. flota

How to pronounce float?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say float in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of float in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of float in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of float in a Sentence

1. Elroy James:

   I think most krewes, particularly, I know, for Zulu, we've been very proactive, leaning in, with respect to all of the safety protocols that have been in place since the onset of this thing, our float captains are confirming our riders are vaccinated. And part of the look for the 2022 Mardi Gras season is face masks.

2. Herschel Walker:

   Since we don't control the air, our good air decided to float over to China's bad air. So when China gets our good air, their bad air got to move. So it moves over to our good air space. Then -- now we got we to clean that back up.

3. Nicholas Ghattas:

   People are getting kind of jittery and thinking, How much more does this really have to run? How much more credit can people float? And when does the cycle start to turn?

4. Ryan Seidemann:

   They float. They tend to go wherever the water goes. We’ve recovered them from yards, from levees, from underneath stairwells, there’s no rhyme or reason, really, to where they come to rest, and then it’s kind of our logistical problem to figure out how to get them out of there.

5. Ren Leppens:

   Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully re-float the remaining whales was extremely low, the remote location, lack of nearby personnel and the whales' deteriorating condition meant the most humane thing to do was to euthanize.

Popularity rank by frequency of use