float

Nouns

  • (n) the time interval between the deposit of a check in a bank and its payment
  • (n) the number of shares outstanding and available for trading by the public
  • (n) a drink with ice cream floating in it ice-cream float, ice-cream soda,
  • (n) an elaborate display mounted on a platform carried by a truck (or pulled by a truck) in a procession or parade
  • (n) a hand tool with a flat face used for smoothing and finishing the surface of plaster or cement or stucco plasterer's float,
  • (n) something that floats on the surface of water
  • (n) an air-filled sac near the spinal column in many fishes that helps maintain buoyancy air bladder, swim bladder,

Verbs

  • (v) 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
    be adrift, drift, blow,
  • (v) be afloat either on or below a liquid surface and not sink to the bottom swim,
  • (v) set afloat
    • He floated the logs down the river
    • The boy floated his toy boat on the pond
  • (v) circulate or discuss tentatively; test the waters with
    • The Republicans are floating the idea of a tax reform
  • (v) move lightly, as if suspended
    • The dancer floated across the stage
  • (v) put into the water
    • float a ship
  • (v) make the surface of level or smooth
    • float the plaster
  • (v) allow (currencies) to fluctuate
    • The government floated the ruble for a few months
  • (v) convert from a fixed point notation to a floating point notation
    • float data

Synonyms

be adrift drift blow swim ice-cream float ice-cream soda plasterer's float air bladder swim bladder

Antonyms

go under go down sink settle

Words of close approximity

floc floe flog flop flow
flock flood floor flora Flory floss flour flout
floatation floater floating floating bridge floating dock floating dry dock floating fern floating mine floating-moss floating-point notation floating-point number floating-point operation floating-point representation system floating policy floating voter floatplane floaty