Float

Float
Float Float (fl[=o]t), n.[OE. flote ship, boat, fleet, AS. flota ship, fr. fle['o]tan to float; akin to D. vloot fleet, G. floss raft, Icel. floti float, raft, fleet, Sw. flotta. [root] 84. See {Fleet}, v. i., and cf. {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. Specifically: (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. [1913 Webster +PJC]

This reform bill . . . had been used as a float by the conservative ministry. --J. P. Peters. [1913 Webster]

2. A float board. See {Float board} (below). [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

4. The act of flowing; flux; flow. [Obs.] --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

5. A quantity of earth, eighteen feet square and one foot deep. [Obs.] --Mortimer. [1913 Webster]

6. (Plastering) The trowel or tool with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled and smoothed. [1913 Webster]

7. A polishing block used in marble working; a runner. --Knight. [1913 Webster]

8. A single-cut file for smoothing; a tool used by shoemakers for rasping off pegs inside a shoe. [1913 Webster]

9. A coal cart. [Eng.] --Simmonds. [1913 Webster]

10. The sea; a wave. See {Flote}, n. [1913 Webster]

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of a transaction (such as depositing a check or a purchase made using a credit card), and the time when funds are withdrawn to cover the transaction; also, the money made available between transactions in that manner. [PJC]

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. [PJC]

{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} (Naut.), 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} (Arch.), 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) . [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Float — or floating may refer to the following:Float* Float (fishing), a bite indicator used in angling * Float, a Cascading Style Sheets attribute. * Float (parade), a decorated vehicle or platform, animal or man drawn or motorized, used in a festive… …   Wikipedia

  • float — float·abil·i·ty; float·able; float; float·less; float·o·blast; float·sam; float·stone; re·float; float·er; float·a·tive; float·ing·ly; …   English syllables

  • Float — [floʊt ], der; s, s [engl. float, eigtl. = das Fließen, Fluss, zu: to float ↑ floaten] (Bankw.): Summe der von Konten abgebuchten, aber noch nicht gutgeschriebenen Zahlungen im bargeldlosen Zahlungsverkehr. * * * I Float,   Kurzbezeichnung für… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Float On — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda «Float On» Sencillo de Modest Mouse del álbum Good News for People Who Love Bad News Publicación 14 de febrero, 2004 Formato CD …   Wikipedia Español

  • float — 1 n 1: an amount of money represented by checks outstanding and in process of collection 2: the time between a transaction (as the writing of a check or a purchase on credit) and the actual withdrawal of funds to cover it float 2 vi of a currency …   Law dictionary

  • Float — Float, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Floated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Floating}.] [OE. flotien, flotten, AS. flotian to float, swim, fr. fle[ o]tan. See {Float}, n.] 1. To rest on the surface of any fluid; to swim; to be buoyed up. [1913 Webster] The ark no… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Float.h — Стандартная библиотека языка программирования С assert.h complex.h ctype.h errno.h fenv.h float.h inttypes.h iso646.h limits.h locale.h math.h setjmp.h signal.h stdarg.h stdbool.h stddef.h stdint.h stdio.h …   Википедия

  • float — ► VERB 1) rest on the surface of a liquid without sinking. 2) move slowly, hover, or be suspended in a liquid or the air. 3) put forward (an idea) as a suggestion or test of reactions. 4) (usu. as adj. floating) remain unsettled in one s opinions …   English terms dictionary

  • float|y — «FLOH tee», adjective, float|i|er, float|i|est. 1. that can float; buoyant. 2. (of a ship) needing very little water to float …   Useful english dictionary

  • Float — Float, v. t. 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. [1913 Webster] Had floated that bell on the Inchcape rock. Southey. [1913 Webster] 2. To flood; to overflow; to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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