floor

[flawr]

noun

1. that part of a room, hallway, or the like, that forms its lower enclosing surface and upon which one walks.

2. a continuous, supporting surface extending horizontally throughout a building, having a number of rooms, apartments, or the like, and constituting one level or stage in the structure; story.

3. a level, supporting surface in any structure.

   the elevator floor.

4. one of two or more layers of material composing a floor.

   rough floor; finish floor.

5. a platform or prepared level area for a particular use.

   a threshing floor.

6. the bottom of any more or less hollow place.

   the floor of a tunnel.

7. a more or less flat extent of surface.

   the floor of the ocean.

8. the part of a legislative chamber, meeting room, etc., where the members sit, and from which they speak.

9. the right of one member to speak from such a place in preference to other members.

   The senator from Alaska has the floor.

10. the area of a floor, as in a factory or retail store, where items are actually made or sold, as opposed to offices, supply areas, etc..

    There are only two salesclerks on the floor.

11. the main part of a stock or commodity exchange or the like, as distinguished from the galleries, platform, etc.

12. the bottom, base, or minimum charged, demanded, or paid.

    The government avoided establishing a price or wage floor.

13. Mining.,  an underlying stratum, as of ore, usually flat.

14. Nautical.

    1. the bottom of a hull.

    2. any of a number of deep, transverse framing members at the bottom of a steel or iron hull, generally interrupted by and joined to any vertical keel or keelsons.

    3. the lowermost member of a frame in a wooden vessel.

verb (used with object)

1. to cover or furnish with a floor.

2. to bring down to the floor or ground; knock down.

   He floored his opponent with one blow.

3. to overwhelm; defeat.

4. to confound or puzzle; nonplus.

   I was floored by the problem.

5. Also to push (a foot-operated accelerator pedal) all the way down to the floor of a vehicle, for maximum speed or power.

floor

/ flɔː /

noun

1. Also called: flooring. the inner lower surface of a room

2. a storey of a building

   the second floor

3. a flat bottom surface in or on any structure

   the floor of a lift

   a dance floor

4. the bottom surface of a tunnel, cave, river, sea, etc

5. mining an underlying stratum

6. nautical the bottom, or the lowermost framing members at the bottom, of a vessel

7. that part of a legislative hall in which debate and other business is conducted

8. the right to speak in a legislative or deliberative body (esp in the phrases get, have, or be given the floor )

9. the room in a stock exchange where trading takes place

10. the earth; ground

11. a minimum price charged or paid

    a wage floor

12. to begin dancing on a dance floor

verb

1. to cover with or construct a floor

2. (tr) to knock to the floor or ground

3. informal,  (tr) to disconcert, confound, or defeat

   to be floored by a problem

Other Word Forms

• floorless adjective
• underfloor noun
• unfloor verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of floor¹

First recorded before 900; from Middle English flor, Old English flōr; cognate with Old Norse flōr, Middle Low German vlōr, Middle High German vluor ( German Flur )

Word History and Origins

Origin of floor¹

Old English flōr ; related to Old Norse flōrr , Middle Low German vlōr floor, Latin plānus level, Greek planan to cause to wander

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. mop / wipe the floor with, to overwhelm completely; defeat.

   He expected to mop the floor with his opponents.

2. take the floor, to arise to address a meeting.

see ground floor; mop up the floor with; sink through the floor; take the floor; walk the floor.

Example Sentences

I see it with a mattress on the floor, clothes thrown about, scarcely furnished.

Read more on Salon

Hospitals already struggling under months of siege have been overwhelmed, with doctors treating the wounded on floors and in corridors.

Read more on BBC

The CEO kept an office on the 53rd floor in the Key Tower skyscraper in Cleveland, but some First Brands executives said they rarely saw the boss.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For years, scientists have warned that the risk of damaging floods is dramatically increased after intense wildfires, as rain struggles to permeate the burnt-out forest floor and flows encounter little resistance from the remaining vegetation.

Read more on Barron's

This is thought to be an event that only occurs every few years, when above average rainfall soaks the desert floor, causing dormant seeds to spring to life.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• basement 
• canvas 
• carpet 
• deck 
• flooring 
• ground 
• mat 
• rug 
• stage