floating

American  

[floh-ting] / ˈfloʊ tɪŋ /

adjective

1. being buoyed up on water or other liquid.

2. having little or no attachment to a particular place; moving from one place to another.

   a floating workforce.

3. Pathology.  away from its proper position, especially in a downward direction.

   a floating kidney.

4. not fixed or settled in a definite place or state.

   a floating population.

5. Finance.

   1. in circulation or use, or not permanently invested, as capital.

   2. composed of sums due within a short time.

      a floating debt.

6. Machinery.

   1. having a soft suspension greatly reducing vibrations between the suspended part and its support.

   2. working smoothly.

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floating British  

/ ˈfləʊtɪŋ /

adjective

1. having little or no attachment

2. (of an organ or part) displaced from the normal position or abnormally movable

   a floating kidney

3. not definitely attached to one place or policy; uncommitted or unfixed

   the floating vote

4. finance

   1. (of capital) not allocated or invested; available for current use

   2. (of debt) short-term and unfunded, usually raised by a government or company to meet current expenses

   3. (of a currency) free to fluctuate against other currencies in accordance with market forces

5. machinery operating smoothly through being free from external constraints

6. (of an electronic circuit or device) not connected to a source of voltage

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Other Word Forms

• floatingly adverb
• nonfloating adjective
• nonfloatingly adverb
• unfloating adjective

Etymology

Origin of floating

First recorded in 1555–65; float + -ing ²

Example Sentences

If these floating shelves continue to deteriorate, the Antarctic Ice Sheet could contribute even more to future sea-level rise.

From Science Daily

It intends to take on new debt and spend some $450 million to install a floating vessel to treat and transfer crude to tankers in federal waters.

From The Wall Street Journal

The scenery doesn’t take center stage until the first full day when you traverse Colorado, at points feeling like you are floating down the Colorado River.

From The Wall Street Journal

Medical teams on board the aircraft carrier will convert it into a "floating hospital" if required, the navy said.

From BBC

In a ritual unseen by the cameras, volunteers heave the floating icons toward the asphalt.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• soaring