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Glite Dictionary
floating bridge

floating bridge

1 4.2
A temporary bridge that rests on boats or platforms on water
  • noun
  • /ˈfloʊtɪŋ brɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : puente flotante
  • A new state study released today lays out four options for tolling to raise some of the costs of replacing the Highway 520 floating bridge.
  • southerly floating bridge
  • floating bridge connecting

He was actually one of those construction workers on a floating bridge from Seattle to Bellevue, WA.

Examples

  • The new floating bridge allows pedestrians to cross the river safely during the summer.

  • The central freeway is under construction, and the second Lake Washington floating bridge is being built.

    Blog text (6)

  • He was actually one of those construction workers on a floating bridge from Seattle to Bellevue, WA.

    High Performance

  • It had rained so long and hard the last few weeks that the floating bridge connecting Seattle to Mercer Island had sunk.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • During the storm, the floating bridge provided a crucial connection for emergency services.

  • The city built a floating bridge to improve access to the island throughout the year.

Synonyms

bridge
vsfloating bridge
∞ 1.0

A structure built across water, like a river, to carry people or vehicles

is temporary and set on water supported by a series of platforms
pontoon bridge
vsfloating bridge
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A temporary bridge that floats on boats to cross water

is used more generally beyond military or engineering situations
bateau bridge
vsfloating bridge
  • Specialized
9.9

A temporary crossing made from boats or rafts to carry people and vehicles over water

uses broad platforms instead of specific flat-bottomed boats

How Permanent

floating bridge
  • Specialized
1 4.2
Bailey bridge
  • Specialized
6.8

Surface Forms

floating bridge singular
floating bridges plural

Morphology

floating + bridge

The meaning 'a bridge supported on water' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'floating' (remaining on a liquid's surface) with 'bridge' (a span for crossing). This adjective+noun composition follows a common, cross-linguistically regular pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Floating bridge is a literal name for a bridge made by linking boats or pontoons so the road actually floats on the water instead of standing on supports. People build these for a quick, 'temporary' crossing, so the term means a bridge supported by floating platforms.