Float
/floʊt/noun
To rest or move on or near the surface of a liquid or in the air.
Did you know?Float comes from a Germanic root meaning “to flow,” and its oldest relatives are tied to the same ancient idea of things moving like water, not standing still like stone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pleu-
“to flow, float, swim”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*flutōną
“to float, drift”
Old English
OE
flōtan
“to float, swim, drift”
Middle English
ME
floaten
“to float, drift on water”
Modern English
English
float
“to rest or move on the surface of a liquid or in the air”