float

float1 [ flout ] verb **

▸ 1 be on liquid & not sink

▸ 2 be lighter than air

▸ 3 about sound/smell

▸ 4 move softly/gracefully

▸ 5 suggest idea

▸ 6 act without clear plan

▸ 7 start to sell shares

▸ 8 about money

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive to rest or move slowly on the surface of a liquid and not sink:

Their raft would not float.

float on/in: Leaves and twigs floated on the water.

float by/along/toward etc.: Miranda floated by on her back.

a ) transitive to place something or make it move on the surface of a liquid:

They were floating little paper boats on the lake.

─ opposite SINK

2. ) intransitive to be lighter than air, and move slowly through it:

float in/through/across/over etc.: Bubbles floated in the air.

A cloud floated across the moon.

3. ) intransitive if a sound or smell floats, it moves through the air so that it can be heard or smelled in different places:

float up/down/across/through etc.: Music floated up from the garden.

Perfume floated around her.

4. ) intransitive to move in a very soft and graceful way:

float down/up/across etc.: Fabia floated down the stairs in a long white dress.

5. ) transitive to suggest an idea for people to consider to see how they will react:

Various explanations for his resignation are being floated.

a ) intransitive INFORMAL if an idea floats, it is successful or accepted:

Old TV shows repackaged as movies rarely float.

6. ) intransitive to behave in a way that shows you do not have a clear plan for what you want to do:

She just sort of floats through life.

7. ) transitive BUSINESS to start to sell a company's SHARES on the STOCK MARKET:

The company was floated in 1993.

8. ) intransitive or transitive BUSINESS if a government floats its CURRENCY, its value is allowed to change in relation to other currencies

floating on air/on a cloud

very happy, as if you were dreaming

whatever floats your boat SPOKEN

used for saying that although an idea or plan does not seem good to you, you can accept that someone else likes it

,float `around phrasal verb intransitive SPOKEN

1. ) if something is floating around, you have seen it somewhere but you are not certain where it is:

There's a pen floating around here somewhere.

2. ) if an idea is floating around, it has been suggested but not yet considered:

We have various issues floating around that we need to discuss.

float

float 2 [ flout ] noun count

▸ 1 decorated vehicle

▸ 2 drink with ice cream

▸ 3 in business

▸ 4 object that floats

▸ 5 extra money

1. ) a large vehicle decorated and driven as part of a PARADE

2. ) AMERICAN a SOFT DRINK with ice cream floating in it:

a rootbeer float

3. ) BUSINESS the first time that a company starts to sell its SHARES on the STOCK MARKET: FLOTATION:

The company directors made over $1 million each from the float.

4. ) an object used in fishing that floats on the water

a ) an object that floats on the water and supports your body

5. ) a small extra amount of money in coins and notes, kept by a store so that customers can be given CHANGE when they buy something