float

float
1 verb
1 ON WATER (I)
a) to stay or move on the surface of a liquid without sinking: Wood usually floats. | Annie was floating on her back in the pool. | along/down/past etc: The logs floated down the river.
b) (T) to put something on the surface of a liquid so that it does not sink: Pour the coffee and brandy into a mug, then float the cream on top.
2 IN 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
(+ up/down/through etc): He watched the balloon float up into the sky.
3 MUSIC/SOUNDS/SMELLS ETC (intransitive always + adv/prep) if sounds, smells etc float somewhere, people in another place can hear or smell them
(+ down/towards/into etc): The sound of her voice came floating down from an upstairs window.
4 MONEY (I, T) technical 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: Russia floated the ruble on the foreign exchange market.
5 SUGGEST (T) to suggest an idea or plan, especially in order to find out what people think about it: The idea was first floated in a speech given by the President a few months ago.
6 COMPANY (T) to sell shares (share2 (6) in a company or business to the public for the first time
—see also: flotation (1)
7 CHEQUE AmE (T) to write a cheque that you do not have enough money in the bank to pay; bounce 1 (3) BrE
8 MOVE GRACEFULLY (I) to move gracefully and lightly: Rachel floated around the bedroom in a lace nightgown.
9 NO DEFINITE PURPOSE (intransitive always + adv/prep) to keep changing what you are doing without having any particular ideas or plans: Dean seems to float from job to job, never getting anywhere.
— floater noun (C) 2 noun (C)
1 a large vehicle that is decorated to be part of a parade 1 (1): a procession of Carnival floats
—see also: milk float
2 AmE a soft drink that has ice cream floating in it
3 a light object that floats on the surface of the water, used especially for catching fish
4 a light object used when swimming to support your body
5 a small amount of money that someone in a shop keeps so that they have enough money to give change to people

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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