A Float Is a Milk Van, a Parade Truck and a Cash Reserve
To float is to rest on the surface of a liquid. As a noun, float names several unrelated-looking things across British and American use.
To float is to rest or move on the surface of a liquid. As a noun it goes in several directions at once: a *parade float* is a decorated platform, a British *milk float* is a slow electric delivery vehicle, a shop's *float* is the change kept in the till at opening, and an American *float* is a drink with ice cream in it. The common idea is something carried or resting lightly on a surface. In finance, to float a company is to offer its shares publicly.
- To rest on liquid. *Wood floats.*
- A parade platform. *A carnival float.*
- A delivery vehicle (British). *A milk float.*
- Till change. *A hundred-pound float.*
- To list on a stock market. *They floated the company.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | float | It floats. |
| Past | floated | It floated. |
| Noun | float | A carnival float. |
| Adjective | floating | A floating dock. |
| Old English | flotian | To float. |
- The raft floated downstream.Literal.
- The milk float hummed down the street.British.
- The company floated in 2019.Finance.
Float in different fields
- Parade — a decorated platform in a procession
- Retail — the cash in a till at the start of trading
- Finance — a public share offering, or a currency left to market rates
- Plumbing — the ball that shuts off a cistern
- Drinks — American, a soft drink with ice cream
Old English *flotian*, to float, from a Germanic root related to *fleet* and *flood*.
What is a milk float?
A slow electric vehicle used in Britain for doorstep milk deliveries, chosen because it is quiet in the early morning.
What does floating a currency mean?
Letting its exchange rate be set by the market rather than fixed by the government.