释义 |
floating I. noun (-s) Etymology: from gerund of float (II) 1. : the act or action of one that floats 2. : spotty or irregular flooding of paint; sometimes : separation of a pigment from a mixture whether in bulk or a film 3. a. : the act or process of spreading or smoothing a surface (as of concrete, mortar, plaster, or stucco) with a float b. : the second coat of three-coat plastering II. adjective Etymology: from present participle of float (II) 1. : buoyed upon or in a fluid < the floating timbers of a wreck > < floating motes in the air > < floating aquatic vegetation made the canal unusable > 2. a. : free from or lacking the usual attachment — used especially of ribs that join the sternum by a cartilaginous rather than a bony union b. : being out of the normal position; especially : abnormally movable and displaced downward or away from normal attachments — used especially of the kidney 3. : continually changing : characterized by shifting or drifting (as from one abode or occupation to another) < the floating population > as a. : shifting or variable in form, incidence, or subject matter < floating rumors > b. of funds or capital : not presently committed or invested c. of a debt : falling due within the year; sometimes : short-term and usually not funded d. : enforceable in equity as a lien against whatever assets a person may have from time to time leaving him meanwhile more or less free to dispose of or encumber his assets as if no lien existed < a floating charge > < floating security > e. : frequently shifted in location to evade detection and arrest of participants < a floating crap game > 4. a. : connected or constructed so as to operate and adjust smoothly (as if floating) b. : of, relating to, or having mechanical parts connected or constructed in this way < a floating transmission > • float·ing·ly adverb III. adjective : having no fixed value or rate < floating currencies > < floating interest rates > |