floatfloat1 /floʊt/ ●●● S3 W2 verb 1
ON WATER [intransitive] a)to stay or move on the surface of a liquid without sinking: I wasn’t sure if the raft would float.float on/in Tim was floating on his back in the pool.float along/down/past etc. A dead branch floated past the dock. b)[transitive] to put something on the surface of a liquid so that it does not sink: Children were floating small boats made of banana leaves.2IN THE AIR [intransitive always + adv./prep.] if something floats, especially something very light or filled with air, it moves slowly in the air or stays up in the air: float up/down/through etc. He watched sadly as his balloon floated away.float in the sky/air I looked up at the clouds floating in the sky.3SOUNDS/SMELLS [intransitive always + adv./prep.] if sounds, smells, etc. float somewhere, people in another place can hear or smell them: float up/down/toward/into etc. His voice floated up to her.4MOVE GRACEFULLY [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to move gracefully and lightly: Laura floated down the stairs toward him.5IDEAS [transitive] to suggest an idea or plan, especially in order to find out what people think about it: We first floated the idea back in 1998.6COMPANY [transitive] social studies, economics to sell stock in a company or business to the public for the first time7MONEY [intransitive, transitive] social studies, economics if a country floats its money or its money floats, the value of the money is allowed to change freely in relation to money from other countries: The government decided to allow the peso to float freely.8NO DEFINITE PURPOSE [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to keep changing what you are doing without having any particular ideas or plans: Speck was a drifter who had floated in and out of trouble for most of his life.9float somebody a loan informal to allow someone to borrow money from you10float a check to write a check that you do not have enough money in the bank to pay[Origin: Old English flotian]—floater noun [countable] → see also whatever floats your boat at whatever1 (8)float around phrasal verb float around something to be present in a place: There are a lot of rumors floating around.
ON WATER [intransitive] a)to stay or move on the surface of a liquid without sinking: I wasn’t sure if the raft would float.float on/in Tim was floating on his back in the pool.float along/down/past etc. A dead branch floated past the dock. b)[transitive] to put something on the surface of a liquid so that it does not sink: Children were floating small boats made of banana leaves.2IN THE AIR [intransitive always + adv./prep.] if something floats, especially something very light or filled with air, it moves slowly in the air or stays up in the air: float up/down/through etc. He watched sadly as his balloon floated away.float in the sky/air I looked up at the clouds floating in the sky.3SOUNDS/SMELLS [intransitive always + adv./prep.] if sounds, smells, etc. float somewhere, people in another place can hear or smell them: float up/down/toward/into etc. His voice floated up to her.4MOVE GRACEFULLY [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to move gracefully and lightly: Laura floated down the stairs toward him.5IDEAS [transitive] to suggest an idea or plan, especially in order to find out what people think about it: We first floated the idea back in 1998.6COMPANY [transitive] social studies, economics to sell stock in a company or business to the public for the first time7MONEY [intransitive, transitive] social studies, economics if a country floats its money or its money floats, the value of the money is allowed to change freely in relation to money from other countries: The government decided to allow the peso to float freely.8NO DEFINITE PURPOSE [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to keep changing what you are doing without having any particular ideas or plans: Speck was a drifter who had floated in and out of trouble for most of his life.9float somebody a loan informal to allow someone to borrow money from you10float a check to write a check that you do not have enough money in the bank to pay[Origin: Old English flotian]—floater noun [countable] → see also whatever floats your boat at whatever1 (8)float around phrasal verb float around something to be present in a place: There are a lot of rumors floating around.