Noun
1. the time interval between the deposit of a check in a bank and its payment
2. the number of shares outstanding and available for trading by the public
3. a drink with ice cream floating in it
4. an elaborate display mounted on a platform carried by a truck (or pulled by a truck) in a procession or parade
5. a hand tool with a flat face used for smoothing and finishing the surface of plaster or cement or stucco
6. something that remains on the surface of a liquid
Verb
1. 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. be afloat; stay on a liquid surface; not sink
3. set afloat;
"He floated the logs down the river""The boy floated his toy boat on the pond"4. circulate or discuss tentatively; test the waters with;
"The Republicans are floating the idea of a tax reform"5. move lightly, as if suspended;
"The dancer floated across the stage"6. put into the water;
"float a ship"7. make the surface of level or smooth;
"float the plaster"8. allow (currencies) to fluctuate;
"The government floated the ruble for a few months"9. convert from a fixed point notation to a floating point notation;
"float data"