float : Idioms & Phrases


carling float

  • noun a raft to use if a ship must be abandoned in an emergency
    life raft.
WordNet

dead-man's float

  • noun a floating position with the face down and arms stretched forward
    dead-man's float.
WordNet

Feathering float

  • (Naut.), the float or paddle of a feathering wheel.
Webster 1913

Float copper ∨ gold

  • (Mining), fine particles of metallic copper or of gold suspended in water, and thus liable to be lost.
Webster 1913

Float board

  • one of the boards fixed radially to the rim of an undershot water wheel or of a steamer's paddle wheel; a vane.
Webster 1913

Float case

  • (Naut.), a caisson used for lifting a ship.
Webster 1913

Float ore

  • water-worn particles of ore; fragments of vein material found on the surface, away from the vein outcrop. Raymond.
Webster 1913

Float stone

  • (Arch.), a siliceous stone used to rub stonework or brickwork to a smooth surface.
Webster 1913

Float valve

  • a valve or cock acted upon by a float. See Float, 1 (b).
Webster 1913

floating bridge

  • noun a temporary bridge built over a series of pontoons
    bateau bridge; pontoon bridge.
WordNet

floating dock

  • noun dry dock that can be submerged under a vessel and then raised
    floating dock.
WordNet

floating dry dock

  • noun dry dock that can be submerged under a vessel and then raised
    floating dock.
WordNet

floating fern

  • noun pantropical aquatic fern
    Ceratopteris thalictroides.
  • noun aquatic fern of tropical America often used in aquariums
    Ceratopteris pteridioides; water sprite.
  • noun small free-floating aquatic fern from the eastern United States to tropical America; naturalized in western and southern Europe
    Carolina pond fern; Azolla caroliniana; mosquito fern.
WordNet

floating mine

  • noun an explosive mine designed to destroy ships that bump into it
    marine mine.
WordNet

floating policy

  • noun an insurance policy covering loss of movable property (e.g. jewelry) regardless of its location
    floater.
WordNet

floating voter

  • noun a voter who has no allegiance to any political party and whose unpredictable decisions can swing the outcome of an election one way or the other
    swing voter.
WordNet

floating-moss

  • noun free-floating aquatic ferns
    Salvinia auriculata; Salvinia rotundifolia.
WordNet

floating-point notation

  • noun a radix numeration system in which the location of the decimal point is indicated by an exponent of the radix; in the floating-point representation system, 0.0012 is represented as 0.12-2 where -2 is the exponent
    floating-point notation.
WordNet

floating-point number

  • noun a number represented in floating-point notation
WordNet

floating-point operation

  • noun an arithmetic operation performed on floating-point numbers
    flop.
    • this computer can perform a million flops per second
WordNet

floating-point representation system

  • noun a radix numeration system in which the location of the decimal point is indicated by an exponent of the radix; in the floating-point representation system, 0.0012 is represented as 0.12-2 where -2 is the exponent
    floating-point notation.
WordNet

Ice float, Ice floe

  • a sheet of floating ice similar to an ice field, but smaller.
Webster 1913

ice-cream float

  • noun a drink with ice cream floating in it
    float; ice-cream soda.
WordNet

milk float

  • noun a van (typically powered by electricity) with an open side that is used to deliver milk to houses
WordNet

million floating point operations per second

  • noun (computer science) a unit for measuring the speed of a computer system
    megaflop; MFLOP.
WordNet

plasterer's float

  • noun a hand tool with a flat face used for smoothing and finishing the surface of plaster or cement or stucco
    float.
WordNet

prone float

  • noun a floating position with the face down and arms stretched forward
    dead-man's float.
WordNet

root beer float

  • noun an ice-cream soda made with ice cream floating in root beer
WordNet

To float with the stream

  • figuratively, to drift with the current of opinion, custom, etc., so as not to oppose or check it. Colloq. = go with the flow, blow with the wind.
Webster 1913

trillion floating point operations per second

  • noun (computer science) a unit for measuring the speed of a computer system
    teraflop.
WordNet