float

(flōt)

v., float·ed, float·ing, floats.

v.intr.

1. 1. To remain suspended within or on the surface of a fluid without sinking.
   2. To be suspended in or move through space as if supported by a liquid.
2. To move from place to place, especially at random.
3. To move easily or lightly: "Miss Golightly . . . floated round in their arms light as a scarf" (Truman Capote).
4. Economics. To find a level in relationship to other currencies solely in response to the law of supply and demand: allowed the dollar to float.

v.tr.

1. To cause to remain suspended without sinking or falling.
2. 1. To put into the water; launch: float a ship; float a navy.
   2. To start or establish (a business enterprise, for example).
3. To flood (land), as for irrigation.
4. Economics. To allow (the exchange value of a currency) to find freely its real level in relationship to other currencies.
5. To offer for consideration; suggest: floated my idea to the committee.
6. To release (a security) for sale.
7. To arrange for (a loan).
8. To make the surface of (plaster, for example) level or smooth.
9. Computer Science. To convert (data) from fixed-point notation to floating-point notation.

n.

1. Something that floats, as:
   1. A raft.
   2. A buoy.
   3. A life preserver.
   4. A buoyant object, such as a cork, used to hold a net or fishing line afloat.
   5. A landing platform attached to a wharf and floating on the water.
   6. A floating ball attached to a lever to regulate the water level in a tank.
2. Biology. An air-filled sac or structure that aids in the flotation of an aquatic organism. Also called air bladder, air vesicle.
3. A decorated exhibit or scene mounted on a mobile platform and pulled or driven in a parade.
4. A sum of money representing checks that are outstanding.
5. A tool for smoothing the surface of plaster or cement.
6. A soft drink with ice cream floating in it. See Regional Note at milk shake.

[Middle English floten, from Old English flotian.]

floatable float'a·ble adj.

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In programming, a declaration of a floating point number.

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1. Variations in the placement of a label on a form. Float interferes with the scan entry of the information on the label since the desired information does not move in front of the scan head in a consistent manner. Float may also interfere with the deliverability of a mailing piece if the label must be seen through an envelope window. Float is usually the result of careless label application but may be created intentionally to make a mailing piece look as if a person, and not a machine, prepared it. Marketers have tested various degrees of float to identify the precise degree of individuality people respond to best. See also optical character recognition.

2. Addressing procedure that "right justifies" (aligns along the right edge) each line of copy for a neat look. See also justify.

3. Placement of a space advertisement in an area larger than necessary to accommodate the dimensions of the advertisement.

4. Money given to an advertising agency by the advertiser that may be invested or otherwise used, prior to its delivery to the media owners for which it is intended.

Dollar value of cash balances created by the time lag in processing unpaid checks. Collection float is interest that may be lost to the depositor; payment float is interest that may be gained by the payer. The largest component of float is Federal Reserve Float created when a Federal Reserve Bank credits the reserve account of a collecting bank before it has collected from the paying bank. Other kinds of float are Mail Float caused by delays in mail handling between cities; holiday float created when a bank is not open for business due to a state or national holiday; and return item float, created when checks are returned for insufficient funds or other reasons. At greater distances between paying and receiving banks, bank clearing float tends to increase, although federal legislation enacted in 1987 requires banks to adhere to uniform funds availability on out-of-town checks, which will give banks an incentive to hold clearing float at a minimum. A bank customer's Average Daily Float is often calculated for purposes of Account Analysis. See also Available Balance; Regulation Cc.

1. the interval of time after a deposit or withdrawal is made and before the transaction is credited or deducted.


Example: Abel writes a check to pay a debt to Baker. Baker deposits the check in a bank other than the one used by Abel.
Abel’s bank may have a float of 2 or 3 days before Baker’s bank collects the money.


2. the difference between a variable interest rate and the index to which it is pegged.


Example: A bank makes construction loans at 3% over the prime rate. The 3% is the float.


3. to incur a debt.


Example: To fund a project, Atlas Company may float a loan or float a bond issue.

Previous:	Flipping (LOAN), Flip
Next:	Floating Rate, Flood Insurance

Caribbean (Trinidad); fried biscuits made with yeast dough. See also bakes.

n. 1. A soft drink (such as root beer) with a scoop or two of ice cream floating in it. 2. A small amount of liquid (such as liqueur or cream) that sits atop another liquid without mixing in. float v. To slowly pour a liquid (such as liqueur or cream) onto the top of another liquid so that it floats on top of the liquid below. In the case of a pousse-café, several liquids are floated, one on top of the other, so as not to mix together.

verb

1. To move along with or be carried away by the action of water: drift, wash. See move/halt.
2. To pass quickly and lightly through the air: dart, fly, sail, shoot, skim. See move/halt.

v

Definition: lie on the surface, hover
Antonyms: drown, sink

n. a thing that is buoyant in water, especially a hollow structure fixed underneath an aircraft enabling it to take off and land on water.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

A flat tool with a handle on the back; used on cement or plaster surfaces for smoothing or for producing textured surfaces. Also see angle float, bull float, carpet float, rotary float.

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Refers to checks that are in transit between banks and that have not yet been paid; checks in the process of collection, which, when entered in a depositor’s account, remain conditional credits until the checks are paid to the bank in money; also refers to the practice of writing a check with insufficient funds and then covering the check before it returns to the bank for payment. 15 B.R. 937, 941.

1. The total number of shares publicly owned and available for trading. The float is calculated by subtracting restricted shares from outstanding shares.

2. A float can also refer to a small portion of the money supply representing a balance that is simultaneously present in a buyers and a payers account. A float results from the delay occurring between the time that a cheque is written and the money actually being deducted from the writer's account. These balances are temporarily double counted as part of the overall money supply.

Investopedia Says:
For example, a company may have 10 million outstanding shares, but only seven million are trading on the stock market. Therefore, this company's float would be seven million.
Stocks with smaller floats tend to be more volatile than those with larger floats.

Related Links:
We go over different types of shares and what investors need to know about them. The Basics Of Outstanding Shares And The Float

To be deployed at sea, usually on a MEU as in "six month float"

IN BRIEF: To remain suspended within or on the surface of a fluid without sinking.

They floated down the river on rafts.

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i. The horizontal distance traveled by an aircraft from the moment of a flare for landing to the actual touchdown.
ii. A buoyant structure or component fitted to an aircraft to enable it to be supported in water or to stabilize it in water. See float gear.
iii. A buoyant needle or capsule in a float-type carburetor that keeps the fuel level a constant distance below the edge of the discharge nozzle. See float-type carburetor.

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1. an instrument used in the filing or rasping of a horse's premolar and molar teeth. Handles are 24 to 28 in (60 to 70 cm) with a broad head into which an interchangeable rasp can be screwed. Some rasps work when pulled toward the operator, others work only when pushed away. Short-handled floats with the heads set at an angle are used for the front upper molars.
2. in British countries, the term for a road vehicle used for the transport of large animals, usually horses or cattle. A low-level float may be an independent unit towed behind another vehicle. A high-level float is standard-truck height and an integral part of the vehicle.

For a list of words related to float, see:

• Shaving, Shaping, Sharpening, and Smoothing Tools - float: trowellike tool with thick rubber face attached at each end to handle, used for smoothing grout or similar material
• Trucks and Buses - float: trailer with platform for parade exhibit
• Beverages
• Dresses and Skirts - float: loose, flowing, sometimes fancy dress
• Banking and Financial Services - float: uncollected amount of check cashed by one bank on another bank’s account; brief interim before collection when bank on which check is drawn has use of depositor’s money for free
• Securities - float: (vb) place securities, esp. bond issue, on market; (n) amount of common stock not closely held and available for trading
• Entertainments and Spectacles - float: low, flat, decorated vehicle that carries exhibits or tableaux in a parade
• Hunting Equipment - float: flat-bottomed, wide boat such as johnboat, used for hunting shorebirds and waterfowl
• Fishing Equipment and Tackle - float: cork, hollow plastic, or bobber used to buoy up baited line in water
• Mood and Intent - float: move gently and lightly, as though suspended in fluid

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See words rhyming with "float."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Float.

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - flyde, bringe på markedet, komme dryssende
v. tr. - bringe flot, oversvømme, forhandle
n. - ponton, luftblære, byttepenge

idioms:

• float on air    svæve
• float someone's boat    hidse nogen op

Nederlands (Dutch)
(doen) drijven, zweven, dwalen, plek in de geldmarkt verwerven (geldsoort), onder water zetten, recht maken, indienen, sluiten, (aandelen) op de markt brengen, dobber, drijver, vlot, kar met platform (b.v. in corso), actieve aandelen, gas/luchtballon in lichaam, troffel, landtoelage, uitstaand geld, tijd tussen transactie en geldopname, frisdrank met ijs

Français (French)
v. intr. - flotter, nager, surnager, faire la planche, (Fin) flotter (une monnaie), mettre un navire à flot
v. tr. - faire flotter, flotter, faire circuler une rumeur
n. - flotteur, bouchon, (Aviat) flotteur, (GB) planche (de natation), (US) gilet de sauvetage, char, (Comm) fonds (de caisse), (US) soda (avec une boule de glace), (US, Fin) délai avant l'encaissement d'un chèque, (GB, Constr) taloche/bouclier, masse des effets de circulation

idioms:

• float on air    être aux anges
• float someone's boat    exciter (qn)

Deutsch (German)
v. - schweben, gründen, in Umlauf bringen, treiben, flott werden
n. - Schwimmer, Floß, Festwagen, kleine Kasse, Korken, Schwimmblase, Rampenlicht

idioms:

• float on air    sich wie im siebten Himmel fühlen
• float someone's boat    jemanden faszinieren

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - επιπλέω, (οικον.) ιδρύω επιχείρηση, εκδίδω ομολογίες, δάνειο, κ.λπ., διαδίδω, κυκλοφορώ, επιτρέπω τη διακύμανση (νομίσματος)
n. - πλωτήρας (κν. φλοτέρ), σχεδία, αποκριάτικο άρμα, κάρο-πλατφόρμα

idioms:

• float on air    πλανώμαι
• float someone's boat    ερεθίζω, διεγείρω, φτιάχνω (κάποιον)

Italiano (Italian)
aleggiare, essere sospeso, galleggiare, stare a galla, galleggiante, salvagente, vescica natatoria, carro allegorico, (USA) bevanda con pallina di gelato, fluttuazione

Português (Portuguese)
v. - flutuar
n. - bóia (f), carroça (f) ou carro (m) (usado em procissões ou desfiles)

idioms:

• float on air    pairar
• float someone's boat    fazer alguém feliz

Русский (Russian)
плавать, выпускать заем/акции, пускать (слух), поплавок

idioms:

• float on air    витать в облаках

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - flotar, planear, nadar, sobrenadar, flotar en la superficie
v. tr. - poner, mantener o llevar a flote, emitir o poner en circulación
n. - flotador, balsa, boya, salvavidas

idioms:

• float on air    estar en las nubes, no caber en sí de gozo
• float someone's boat    complacer o agradar muchísimo a alguien

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - flyta, sväva, flacka, hålla flytande
n. - flotta, flöte, simorgan (zool.), handkassa

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
浮动, 散播, 飘浮, 使漂浮, 淹没, 容纳, 漂流物, 漂浮, 浮舟

idioms:

• float on air    洋洋得意
• float someone's boat    使某人喜欢

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 浮動, 散播, 飄浮
v. tr. - 使漂浮, 淹沒, 容納
n. - 漂流物, 漂浮, 浮舟

idioms:

• float on air    洋洋得意
• float someone's boat    使某人喜歡

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 뜨다, 떠오르다, 설립되다, 유랑하다
v. tr. - 띄우다, 떠오르게 하다, 퍼뜨리다, 감돌게 하다
n. - 뜨는 물건, 뗏목, 구명대, 찌

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 浮く, 浮かべる, 浮かぶ, 漂う, 浮動する, 起こす, 流れ歩く, 変動相場制になる, 変動相場制にする, 流れる, 流す
n. - 浮くもの, いかだ, 浮き, 山車

idioms:

• float on air    うきうきして
• float someone's boat    してあげる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يطفو , يعوم (الاسم) عوامه , منصه عائمه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮צף, ריחף, הפיץ שמועה‬
v. tr. - ‮הציף שער-מטבע, השיט, ייסד חברה, הפיץ שמועה, דאה באוויר, הציע (מניות) למכירה בבורסה‬
n. - ‮מצוף, מכל-אוויר, קרון-תצוגה, דוברה, מעגן‬

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