floatation

[floh-tey-shuh n]

noun

flotation.

Origin of floatation

First recorded in 1800–10

flotation

or float·a·tion

[floh-tey-shuh n]

noun

an act or state of floating.
the launching of a commercial venture, bond issue, loan, etc.
Metallurgy. a process for separating the different minerals in a mass of powdered ore based on their tendency to sink in, or float on, a given liquid.
the science of floating bodies.

Origin of flotation

1800–10; float + -ation; compare French flottaison (see flotsam)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for floatation

floatation

noun

a variant spelling of flotation

flotation

floatation

noun

1. the launching or financing of a commercial enterprise by bond or share issues
2. the raising of a loan or new capital by bond or share issues
power or ability to float; buoyancy
Also called: froth flotation a process to concentrate the valuable ore in low-grade ores. The ore is ground to a powder, mixed with water containing surface-active chemicals, and vigorously aerated. The bubbles formed trap the required ore fragments and carry them to the surface froth, which is then skimmed off

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for floatation

1806, the older, more etymological, but less popular spelling of flotation.

flotation

1850s, from float (v.) + -ation. Spelling influenced by French (cf. floatation).

floatation in Medicine

flotation

[flō-tā′shən]

The process of separating different materials, especially minerals, by agitating a pulverized mixture of the materials with water, oil, and chemicals. Differential wetting of the suspended particles causes unwetted particles to be carried by air bubbles to the surface for collection.