float

Universal Words verb, noun verb on water / in air 1 [V+adv./prep.] to move slowly on water or in the air SYNDRIFT: A group of swans floated by. * The smell of new bread floated up from the kitchen. * Beautiful music came floating out of the window. * The boats were floating gently down the river. * (figurative) An idea suddenly floated into my mind. * (figurative) People seem to float in and out of my life. 2 [V] ~ (in / on sth) to stay on or near the surface of a liquid and not sink: Wood floats. * A plastic bag was floating in the water. * Can you float on your back? 3 [VN] to make sth move on or near the surface of a liquid: There wasn't enough water to float the ship. * They float the logs down the river to the towns. walk lightly 4 [V+adv./prep.] (literary) to walk or move in an easy, graceful way: She floated down the steps to greet us. suggest idea 5 [VN] to suggest an idea or a plan for other people to consider: They floated the idea of increased taxes on alcohol. business / economics 6 [VN] (business) to sell shares in a company or business to the public for the first time: The company was floated on the stock market in 1995. * Shares were floated at 585p. 7 [VN, V] (economics) if a government floats its country's money or allows it to float, it allows its value to change freely according to the value of the money of other countries IDIOMS see AIRn. PHRASALVERBS float about / around (usually used in the progressive tenses) if an idea, etc. is floating around, it is talked about by a number of people or passed from one person to another: There's a rumour floating around that you're thinking of leaving. noun vehicle 1 a large vehicle on which people dressed in special COSTUMES are carried in a festival: a carnival float in fishing 2 a small light object attached to a FISHINGLINE that stays on the surface of the water and moves when a fish has been caught: float fishing for swimming 3 a light object that floats in the water and is held by a person who is learning to swim to stop them from sinking drink 4 (AmE) a drink with ice cream floating in it: a Coke float money 5 (especially BrE) a sum of money consisting of coins and notes of low value that is given to sb before they start selling things so that they can give customers CHANGE business 6 = FLOTATION