wikipedia
English

Pronunciation
IPA|/flo�t/
audio|en-us-float.ogg|Audio (US)
:Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-��t|-��t

Etymology
From ON. fljóta.

Noun
en-noun

1. 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.

1. A sort of trowel used for finishing concrete surfaces.

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

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

#:That float covered in roses is very pretty.

1. finance 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.

1. context|finance|AU|and other Commonwealth countries? 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. — w:Australian Securities and Investments Commission|Australian Securities and Investments Commission financial tips article, Buying shares in a float ¹

1. banking 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.

1. insurance Premiums taken in but not yet paid out.

#:We make a lot of interest from our nightly float.

1. programming Short form of floating-point number.

#:That routine should not have used an int, it should be a float.

1. 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.

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

Synonyms
Shares offered to the public:
initial public offering

Derived terms
floatplane

Translations
trans-top|buoyant device used to support something in liquid
Dutch: vlot n
Finnish: koho
trans-mid
Japanese: 浮� (uki), 浮�� (fuyoubutsu)
Lithuanian: plaustas m raft, plūd� f of an angle or a net
Russian: пло� (plot) m raft, поплавок (poplavók) m of an angle or a net
trans-bottom

trans-top|sort of trowel
trans-mid
Russian: ма��е�ок (mast'erók) m, гладилка (gladílka) f, п�авило (pravílo) m
trans-bottom

trans-top|trailer in parade
trans-mid
Russian: пла��о�ма (platfórma) f
trans-bottom

trans-top|funds committed to be paid but not yet paid
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|banking: total amount of checks/cheques or other drafts written against a bank
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|insurance: premiums taken in but not yet paid out
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|programming: short form of floating-point number
Dutch: vlottende kommagetal n
Finnish: liukuluku
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|soft beverage with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream floating in it
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Intransitive verb
rfc-trverb|Intransitive verb
en-verb

1. 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.

#:The boat floated on the water.
#:The oil floated on the vinegar.

1. To be capable of floating.

#:That boat doesn't float.
#:Oil floats on vinegar.

1. To drift gently through the air.

#:The balloon floated off into the distance.

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

#:I'd love to just float downstream.

1. To move in a fluid manner.

#:The dancer floated gracefully around the stage.

1. To automatically adjust a parameter as related parameters change.
2. finance To allow a price to be determined by the markets as opposed to by rule.

#:The yen floats against the dollar.

Translations
trans-top|be supported by a liquid
Dutch: drijven
Finnish: kellua
French: flotter
trans-mid
Italian: galleggiare
Japanese: 浮�� (ukabu), 浮� (uku), �� (tadayou)
Lithuanian: plūduriuoti impf; plaukti impf
Russian: плава�� (plávat') impf; в�пл�ва�� (vsplyvát') pf, в�пл��� (vsplyt') impf to reach the surface
Spanish: flotar
trans-bottom

trans-top|be capable of floating
Dutch: drijven
Finnish: kellua, pysyä pinta|pinnalla
trans-mid
French: flotter
Japanese: 浮�� (ukabu), 浮� (uku)
Lithuanian: plūduriuoti impf; plaukti impf
Russian: де�жа���� на воде (d'eržát's'a na vod'é)
Spanish: flotar
trans-bottom

trans-top|drift gently through the air
Finnish: leijua
French: flotter
trans-mid
Japanese: �� (tobu), 浮��� (fuyūsuru), 浮� (uku)
Russian: па�и�� (parít') impf, пл��� (plyt') impf
Spanish: flotar
trans-bottom

trans-top|move in a particular direction with the liquid in which one is floating
Dutch: meedrijven
Finnish: lipua
French: flotter
trans-mid
Lithuanian: plaukti impf
Russian: пл��� (plyt') impf, д�ей�ова�� (dr'ejfovát') impf of a ship
Spanish: flotar
trans-bottom

trans-top|move in a fluid manner
Dutch: vloeien
trans-mid
Finnish: lipua, leijua
French: flotter
Lithuanian: tek�ti impf
Spanish: flotar
trans-bottom

trans-top|automatically adjust a parameter as related parameters change
Dutch: vloeien
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|allow a price to be determined by the markets as opposed to by rule
Finnish: kellua
French: flotter
trans-mid
Japanese: ��� (koeru)
trans-bottom

Transitive verb
en-verb

1. To cause something to be suspended in a liquid of greater density; as, to float a boat.
2. To propose (an idea) for consideration.

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

1. To extend a short-term loan to.

#:Could you float me $50 until payday?

1. context|finance|AU|and other Commonwealth countries? 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.

#:2005, He floated the company on the Milan Stock Exchange last December and sold 29 per cent of its shares, mostly to American investors. — article by Dewi Cooke, w:The Age|The Age newspaper, 21 June 2005 (about Mario Moretti Polegato) ²

Translations
cause to be suspended

trans-top|propose for consideration
Dutch: te water laten, voorstellen
Finnish: ehdottaa, heittää
trans-mid
Japanese: 浮�� (ukabu)
trans-bottom

trans-top|extend a short-term loan to
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Translations to be checked
checktrans
ttbc|German: schwimmen, schweben
ttbc|Ido: flotacar
ttbc|Mongolian: �өвө� (hövöh)
ttbc|Spanish: flotar

Category:English ergative verbs
Category:Liquids

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• 2007-12-27 14:33 - Stephen G. Brown - /* Mongolian */

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