"floats" in the noun sense

1. float

the time interval between the deposit of a check in a bank and its payment

2. float

the number of shares outstanding and available for trading by the public

3. ice-cream soda, ice-cream float, float

a drink with ice cream floating in it

4. float

an elaborate display mounted on a platform carried by a truck (or pulled by a truck) in a procession or parade

5. float, plasterer's float

a hand tool with a flat face used for smoothing and finishing the surface of plaster or cement or stucco

6. float

something that floats on the surface of water

7. air bladder, swim bladder, float

an air-filled sac near the spinal column in many fishes that helps maintain buoyancy

"floats" in the verb sense

1. float, drift, be adrift, blow

be in motion due to some air or water current

"The leaves were blowing in the wind"

"the boat drifted on the lake"

"The sailboat was adrift on the open sea"

"the shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore"

2. float, swim

be afloat either on or below a liquid surface and not sink to the bottom

3. float

set afloat

"He floated the logs down the river"

"The boy floated his toy boat on the pond"

4. float

circulate or discuss tentatively test the waters with

"The Republicans are floating the idea of a tax reform"

5. float

move lightly, as if suspended

"The dancer floated across the stage"

6. float

put into the water

"float a ship"

7. float

make the surface of level or smooth

"float the plaster"

8. float

allow (currencies) to fluctuate

"The government floated the ruble for a few months"

9. float

convert from a fixed point notation to a floating point notation

"float data"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

Princeton University "About WordNet®."
WordNet®. Princeton University. 2010.

View WordNet® License