Float
Float (flōt) , noun
[Old English flote ship, boat, fleet, Anglo-Saxon flota ship, from fleótan to float; akin to Dutch vloot fleet, German floss raft, Icelandic floti float, raft, fleet, Swedish flotta. r 84. See Fleet, v. i., and compare Flotilla, Flotsam, Plover.]
1.
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.
(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.
This reform bill... had been used as a float by the conservative ministry.
2.
A float board. See Float board (below).
3.
(Tempering) A contrivance for affording a copious stream of water to the heated surface of an object of large bulk, as an anvil or die. — Knight
4.
The act of flowing; flux; flow. [Obsolete] — Bacon
5.
A quantity of earth, eighteen feet square and one foot deep. [Obsolete] — Mortimer
6.
(Plastering) The trowel or tool with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled and smoothed.
7.
A polishing block used in marble working; a runner. — Knight
8.
A single-cut file for smoothing; a tool used by shoemakers for rasping off pegs inside a shoe.
9.
A coal cart. [English] — Simmonds
10.
The sea; a wave. See Flote, n.
11.
(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of a transaction (such as depositing a check or a purchase made using a credit card), and the time when funds are withdrawn to cover the transaction; also, the money made available between transactions in that manner.
12.
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.
Collocations (6)
Float board , one of the boards fixed radially to the rim of an undershot water wheel or of a steamer's paddle wheel; -- a vane.
Float case (Nautical) , a caisson used for lifting a ship.
Float copper or Float gold (Mining) , fine particles of metallic copper or of gold suspended in water, and thus liable to be lost.
Float ore , water-worn particles of ore; fragments of vein material found on the surface, away from the vein outcrop. — Raymond
Float stone (Architecture) , a siliceous stone used to rub stonework or brickwork to a smooth surface.
Float valve , a valve or cock acted upon by a float. See Float, 1 (b).
Float , intransitive verb
[Old English flotien, flotten, Anglo-Saxon flotian to float, swim, from fleótan. See Float, n.]
1.
To rest on the surface of any fluid; to swim; to be buoyed up.
The ark no more now floats, but seems on ground.
Three blustering nights, borne by the southern blast,
I floated.
2.
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.
They stretch their broad plumes and float upon the wind.
There seems a floating whisper on the hills.
Float , transitive verb
1.
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.
Had floated that bell on the Inchcape rock.
2.
To flood; to overflow; to cover with water.
Proud Pactolus floats the fruitful lands.
3.
(Plastering) To pass over and level the surface of with a float while the plastering is kept wet.
4.
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.