1.  Anything which floats or rests on the surface of a fluid, as to sustain weight, or to indicate the height of the liquid surface, or mark the place of, something. [1913 Webster]
"This reform bill . . . had been used as a float by the conservative ministry." [1913 Webster]

2.  A float board. See Float board (below). [1913 Webster]

3.  A contrivance for affording a copious stream of water to the heated surface of an object of large bulk, as an anvil or die. Knight. [1913 Webster]

4.  The act of flowing; flux; flow. Bacon. [1913 Webster]

5.  A quantity of earth, eighteen feet square and one foot deep. Mortimer. [1913 Webster]

6.  The trowel or tool with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled and smoothed. [1913 Webster]

7.  A polishing block used in marble working; a runner. Knight. [1913 Webster]

8.  A single-cut file for smoothing; a tool used by shoemakers for rasping off pegs inside a shoe. [1913 Webster]

9.  A coal cart. Simmonds. [1913 Webster]

10.  The sea; a wave. See Flote, n. [1913 Webster]

11.  The free use of money for a time between occurrence of a transaction (such as depositing a check or a purchase made using a credit card), and the time when funds are withdrawn to cover the transaction; also, the money made available between transactions in that manner. [PJC]

12.  a vehicle on which an exhibit or display is mounted, driven or pulled as part of a parade. The float often is based on a large flat platform, and may contain a very elaborate structure with a tableau or people. [PJC]

1.  To rest on the surface of any fluid; to swim; to be buoyed up. [1913 Webster]
"The ark no more now floats, but seems on ground." [1913 Webster]
"Three blustering nights, borne by the southern blast,
I floated." [1913 Webster]

2.  To move quietly or gently on the water, as a raft; to drift along; to move or glide without effort or impulse on the surface of a fluid, or through the air. [1913 Webster]
"They stretch their broad plumes and float upon the wind." [1913 Webster]
"There seems a floating whisper on the hills." [1913 Webster]

1.  To cause to float; to cause to rest or move on the surface of a fluid; as, the tide floated the ship into the harbor. [1913 Webster]
"Had floated that bell on the Inchcape rock." [1913 Webster]

2.  To flood; to overflow; to cover with water. [1913 Webster]
"Proud Pactolus floats the fruitful lands." [1913 Webster]

3.  To pass over and level the surface of with a float while the plastering is kept wet. [1913 Webster]

4.  To support and sustain the credit of, as a commercial scheme or a joint-stock company, so as to enable it to go into, or continue in, operation. [1913 Webster]

float, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. a rest or move or cause (a buoyant object) to rest or move on the surface of a liquid without sinking. b get afloat or set (a stranded ship) afloat.
2 intr. move with a liquid or current of air; drift (the clouds floated high up).
3 intr. colloq. a move in a leisurely or casual way (floated about humming quietly). b (often foll. by before) hover before the eye or mind (the prospect of lunch floated before them).
4 intr. (often foll. by in) move or be suspended freely in a liquid or a gas.
5 tr. a bring (a company, scheme, etc.) into being; launch. b offer (stock, shares, etc.) on the stock market.
6 Commerce a intr. (of currency) be allowed to have a fluctuating exchange rate. b tr. cause (currency) to float. c intr. (of an acceptance) be in circulation.
7 tr. (of water etc.) support; bear along (a buoyant object).
8 intr. & tr. circulate or cause (a rumour or idea) to circulate.
9 tr. waft (a buoyant object) through the air.
10 tr. archaic cover with liquid; inundate.
--n.
1 a thing that floats, esp.: a a raft. b a cork or quill on a fishing-line as an indicator of a fish biting. c a cork supporting the edge of a fishing-net. d the hollow or inflated part or organ supporting a fish etc. in the water; an air bladder. e a hollow structure fixed underneath an aircraft enabling it to float on water. f a floating device on the surface of water, petrol, etc., controlling the flow.
2 a small vehicle or cart, esp. one powered by electricity (milk float).
3 a platform mounted on a lorry and carrying a display in a procession etc.
4 a a sum of money used at the beginning of a period of selling in a shop, a f{ecirc}te, etc. to provide change. b a small sum of money for minor expenditure; petty cash.
5 Theatr. (in sing. or pl.) footlights.
6 a tool used for smoothing plaster.

Idiom:
float-board one of the boards of a water-wheel or paddle-wheel. float glass a kind of glass made by drawing the molten glass continuously on to a surface of molten metal for hardening. float process the process used to make float glass. float-stone a light, porous stone that floats.

Derivative:
floatable adj. floatability n.

Etymology:
OE flot, flotian float, OE flota ship, ON flota, floti rel. to FLEET(5): in ME infl. by OF floter

VB  be firm, stick fast, stand firm, keep firm, remain firm, weather the storm, stay the course, stick to the course, keep the faith, don't give in, don't buckle under, settle, establish, stablish, ascertain, fix, set, stabilitate, retain, keep hold, make good, make sure, fasten, set on its legs, float, perpetuate, settle down, strike roots, put down roots, take root, take up one's abode, build one's house on a rock.

VB  sail, put to sea, take ship, get under way, set sail, spread sail, spread canvas, gather way, have way on, make sail, carry sail, plow the waves, plow the deep, plow the main, plow the ocean, walk the waters, navigate, warp, luff, scud, boom, kedge, drift, course, cruise, coast, hug the shore, hug the land, circumnavigate, ply the oar, row, paddle, pull, scull, punt, steam, swim, float, buffet the waves, ride the storm, skim, effleurer, dive, wade, fly, be wafted, hover, soar, flutter, jet, orbit, rocket, take wing, take a flight, take off, ascend, blast off, land, alight, wing one's flight, wing one's way, aviate, parachute, jump, glide.

N  ship, vessel, sail, craft, bottom, navy, marine, fleet, flotilla, shipping, man of war, transport, tender, storeship, merchant ship, merchantman, packet, liner, whaler, slaver, collier, coaster, lighter, fishing boat, pilot boat, trawler, hulk, yacht, baggala, floating hotel, floating palace, ocean greyhound, ship, bark, barque, brig, snow, hermaphrodite brig, brigantine, barkantine, schooner, topsail schooner, for and aft schooner, three masted schooner, chasse-maree, sloop, cutter, corvette, clipper, foist, yawl, dandy, ketch, smack, lugger, barge, hoy, cat, buss, sailer, sailing vessel, windjammer, steamer, steamboat, steamship, liner, ocean liner, cruiseship, ship of the line, mail steamer, paddle steamer, screw steamer, tug, line of steamers, destroyer, cruiser, frigate, landing ship, LST, aircraft carrier, carrier, flattop, nuclear powered carrier, submarine, submersible, atomic submarine, boat, pinnace, launch, life boat, long boat, jolly boat, bum boat, fly boat, cock boat, ferry boat, canal boat, swamp boat, ark, bully, battery, bateau, broadhorn, dory, droger, drogher, dugout, durham boat, flatboat, galiot, shallop, gig, funny, skiff, dingy, scow, cockleshell, wherry, coble, punt, cog, kedge, lerret, eight oar, four oar, pair oar, randan, outrigger, float, raft, pontoon, prame, iceboat, ice canoe, ice yacht, catamaran, hydroplane, hovercraft, coracle, gondola, carvel, caravel, felucca, caique, canoe, birch bark canoe, dugout canoe, galley, galleyfoist, bilander, dogger, hooker, howker, argosy, carack, galliass, galleon, polacca, polacre, tartane, junk, lorcha, praam, proa, prahu, saick, sampan, xebec, dhow, dahabeah, nuggah, kayak, keel boat, log canoe, pirogue, quadrireme, trireme, stern-wheeler, wanigan, wangan, wharf boat, balloon, airship, aeroplane, biplane, monoplane, triplane, hydroplane, aerodrome, air balloon, pilot balloon, fire balloon, dirigible, zeppelin, aerostat, Montgolfier, kite, parachute, jet plane, rocket plane, jet liner, turbojet, prop-jet, propeller plane, corporate plane, corporate jet, private plane, private aviation, airline, common carrier, fighter, bomber, fighter-bomber, escort plane, spy plane, supersonic aircraft, subsonic aircraft, afloat, aboard, on board, on ship board, hard a lee, hard a port, hard a starboard, hard a weather.

VB  ascend, rise, mount, arise, uprise, go up, get up, work one's way up, start up, shoot up, go into orbit, float up, bubble up, aspire, climb, clamber, ramp, scramble, escalade, surmount, shin, shinny, shinney, scale, scale the heights, raise, elevate, go aloft, fly aloft, tower, soar, take off, spring up, pop up, jump up, catapult upwards, explode upwards, hover, spire, plane, swim, float, surge, leap.

N  levity, lightness, imponderability, buoyancy, volatility, feather, dust, mote, down, thistle, down, flue, cobweb, gossamer, straw, cork, bubble, balloon, float, buoy, ether, air, leaven, ferment, barm, yeast, lighter-than-air balloon, helium balloon, hydrogen balloon, hot air balloon, convection, thermal draft, thermal, light, subtile, airy, imponderous, imponderable, astatic, weightless, ethereal, sublimated, gossamery, suberose, suberous, uncompressed, volatile, buoyant, floating, portable, light as a feather, light as a thistle, light as air, lighter than air, rise like a balloon, float like a balloon.

VB  be light, float, rise, swim, be buoyed up, render light, lighten, leaven.

carling float, dead-man's float, ice-cream float, milk float, plasterer's float, prone float, root beer float