floater

American  

[floh-ter] / ˈfloʊ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that floats.

2. Informal. a person who is continually changing their place of residence, employment, etc.

3. an employee without a fixed job assignment.

   One of our officers works as a floater, filling in when someone is out.

4. U.S. Politics. a voter not attached to any party, especially a person whose vote may be purchased.

5. a person who fraudulently votes, usually for pay, in different places in the same election.

6. a speck or string that appears to be drifting across the eye just outside the line of vision, caused by cells or cell fragments in the vitreous humor registering on the retina; musca volitans.

7. Also called floating policy.  Insurance. a policy that insures movable personal property, covering a loss in any location.

8. Finance. any security or note that has a floating rate.

9. Medicine/Medical Slang. a corpse found floating in a body of water.

10. Animal Behavior. a territorial animal that has been unable to claim a territory and is forced into undefended, marginal areas with limited resources.

11. Australian. a meat pie served in a plate of gravy or pea soup.

---

floater British  

/ ˈfləʊtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that floats

2. any of a number of dark spots that appear in one's vision as a result of dead cells or fragments in the lens or vitreous humour of the eye

3. 1. a person of no fixed political opinion

   2. a person who votes illegally in more than one district at one election

   3. a voter who can be bribed

4. Also called: floating policy.  insurance a policy covering loss or theft of or damage to movable property, such as jewels or furs, regardless of its location

5. informal a person who often changes employment, residence, etc; drifter

6. a loose gold- or opal-bearing rock

7. (esp in Adelaide) a meat pie in a plate of pea soup

---

Etymology

Origin of floater

First recorded in 1710–20; float + -er ¹

Example Sentences

D'Angelo Russell's floater lifted Dallas within 95-94 with 54.8 seconds remaining but Isaiah Hartenstein answered with a layup to give the Thunder a 97-94 edge.

From Barron's • Oct. 28, 2025

The Lakers turned the ball over on an offensive foul on their first possession, but Doncic settled the team down with a floater in the paint on the next possesion.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2025

One defender stumbled, another bit on a fake and Plum glided almost untouched into the lane, kissing a floater off the glass as the horn sounded in an 81-80 Sparks escape.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2025

Yet all it took was one-tenth of one second, a blink, for LeBron James to tip in a missed Luka Doncic floater to give the Lakers a dramatic 120-119 win against the Pacers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2025

He dribbled between his legs before shooting a floater in the paint.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Related Words

• foreigner
• immigrant
• migrant
• outsider
• refugee
• settler
• stranger
• visitor