float

verb

• 1rest or move on or near the surface of a liquid without sinking:she relaxed, floating gently in the water
• [with object and adverbial] cause (a buoyant object) to rest or move on or near the surface of a liquid:trees were felled and floated downstream
• be suspended freely in a liquid or gas:fragments of chipped cartilage floated in the joint

• 2 [with adverbial of direction] move or hover slowly and lightly in a liquid or the air; drift:clouds floated across a brilliant blue sky
• (float about/around) (of a rumour, idea, etc.) circulate:the notion was floating around Capitol Hill
• move in a casual or leisurely way:Araminta floated down the stairs
• [with object and adverbial of direction] (in sport) make (the ball) travel lightly and effortlessly through the air:he floated the kick into the net

• 3 [with object] put forward (an idea) as a suggestion or test of reactions.
• 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
• [with object] allow (a currency) to float.

noun

• 1a 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 light object held for support by a person learning to swim.
• 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 floating device on the surface of a liquid which forms part of a valve apparatus controlling flow in and out of the enclosing container, e.g. in a water cistern or a carburettor.

• 2British a small vehicle or cart, especially one powered by electricity.
• a platform mounted on a truck and carrying a display in a procession:a carnival float

• 3British a sum of money used for change at the beginning of a period of trading in a shop or stall etc., or for minor expenditures.

• 4a hand tool with a rectangular blade used for smoothing plaster.

• 5chiefly North American a soft drink with a scoop of ice cream floating in it:ice-cream floats

• 6(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.