float

Examples

• All

• As the liquid level rises and fills, the weight on the cable causes the inclination of the float to change.

  Academic text (1995)

• Several floats went by, pulled by army mules and covered from top to bottom with American flags.

  Fiction book (1996)

• At ten meters of bottom, they were an arm's length from the single float in view.

  Fiction book (1996)

• "I'm going out to the float and back again.

  Fiction book (2001)

• Those float bags down there are ours.

  Easy Come, Easy Go (1967)

• As the water is agitated, the float rises.

  Academic text (2013)

• The chart showed mooring floats; presumably, it was forbidden to anchor there for the sake of the coral.

  Fiction book (1996)

• Watertight welds and two attached side floats provide positive buoyancy.

  Academic text (1991)

• The big ketch lay motionless on unruffled water; the float line dried slack.

  Fiction book (1996)

• The fish relies on the float located near its backbone to help it stay buoyant in the water.

Synonyms

A

air bladder

vsfloat

• Specialized

1 4.9

A sac inside many fish that holds air and helps them float at different depths

uses backbone wording instead of anatomical phrasing

S

swim bladder

vsfloat

• Specialized

1 5.0

An air sac in many fish that helps them stay at a certain depth in water

gives a specific location near the backbone rather than leaving position vague

Idioms

F

to float like a butterfly

• Informal

1 6.8

To move with light, graceful steps like a butterfly

Compounds

R

root beer float

• US

4 2.9

A cold drink of root beer with a scoop of ice cream

I

ice-cream float

1 2.0

A cold drink with ice cream floating in soda

M

milk float

• Archaic

1 3.5

A small vehicle with an open side that delivers milk to homes

C

Carling float

• Specialized

9.9

An emergency raft on a ship for people to use if they must leave at sea

D

dead-man's float

7.0

A position for floating face down in the water with arms stretched forward to rest and breathe

F

float-type rain gage

• Specialized

7.9

A device with a float that rests on collected rain to measure how much falls

F

float-type rain gauge

• Specialized

7.3

A tool that measures rain using a float on the top of the collected water

P

prone float

6.7

A way to float by lying face down in the water with arms stretched forward to glide

P

plasterer's float

• Specialized

8.1

A flat hand tool with a handle used to smooth wet wall material like plaster or cement

Surface Forms

Etymology