I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
clouds drift/float (= move slowly )
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A few clouds drifted across the top of the mountains.
floating voter
milk float
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
away
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Thoughts of Travis floated away as thoughts of Naylor pushed him aside.
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I was begin-ning to lose touch with my body, floating away to distant places.
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It doesn't need brakes so much as mooring ropes to stop it floating away .
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Damn the memories of seeing it floating away in front of her.
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At breakfast a short length of bamboo was seen floating away behind the raft.
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A moor hen's nest floating away on a swollen tyke told a sad story.
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They rarely flow like this for long, but a few minutes is all it takes to float away a town.
out
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Redcar lifeboat was launched when the man was seen floating out to sea in the four foot dinghy.
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The perfect partnership floats out there.
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Nasty gases and smoke disperse into the ether; sewage eventually floats out to sea.
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But the paraffin floats out , the greater surface area hastening the burning.
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This will prevent any risk of the plant floating out before fresh roots have started to develop.
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It was a second existence, the private world floating out to three dimensions.
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A rescue helicopter was scrambled after his empty dinghy was spotted floating out to sea.
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In the summer dusk the pale hatched moths float out over the riverside.
■ NOUN
air
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He stared mournfully at the bright strip which appeared to float in the cold air over the small table.
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The question floats there in the air .
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It's just floating there in the air !
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They floated , their internal air chambers were dry, and they retained their strength.
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And he's never happier than when he's falling flying, floating through the air .
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Scarlet fever, mumps, chicken pox, and whooping cough floated in the air .
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She felt as though she was floating on air .
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Such a person lived and, in a sense floated on the air , without a solid foundation.
company
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Mr Driscoll hopes to float the company on the Stock Exchange in December.
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The construction materials division, which employs more than 4,200 people, is to be floated as a separate company .
idea
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Mr Kohl himself has floated the idea of offering dual citizenship on a trial basis.
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For example, Wynns floated the idea of eliminating surface street parking near the museum in exchange for a parking garage.
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Fielding said that Lorne had even floated the idea that Gary and Doug should be brothers, as opposed to father and son.
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Gadaffi first floated the idea in 1999, arguing that it offered the best chance of escaping poverty and powerlessness.
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There is nevertheless still floating around an idea for a kind of multidisciplinary partnership, called the Bangemann proposal.
market
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The rate was freed to float in line with market demand today.
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In 1985, it was floated on the stock market to a rapturous City which valued the family stake at £292 million.
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The shares were floated on the Stock Market in 1987 at an equivalent 45p and yesterday managed to level out at 260p.
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Disconcerting, therefore, to hear that the pub is being floated on the property market .
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Control Techniques was founded 20 years ago and floated on the Stock Market in 1985, when the annual turnover was £6.8m.
river
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The men escaped but police found a quantity of cigarettes floating in the river and inside the car.
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He floated up the East River wearing a stolen watch.
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Does it just float down the river to catch the next passing fox?
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We float down the river on a piercing blue desert morning.
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The smell that floated back from the river with its docks and factories was unpleasant, like her life at present.
sea
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Redcar lifeboat was launched when the man was seen floating out to sea in the four foot dinghy.
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One of those miracles of the world, one of those surprises: that a man may float upon the sea .
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Outside the window it looked as if the few farm houses we passed were floating in a sea of snow.
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Nasty gases and smoke disperse into the ether; sewage eventually floats out to sea .
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These are the days when Alcyone broods over her nest floating on the sea .
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A rescue helicopter was scrambled after his empty dinghy was spotted floating out to sea .
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On my previous visit, at dawn, the range had floated eerily above a sea of fog.
sky
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The movements themselves are quite poetic and have often been likened to clouds floating in the sky .
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It was like approaching a floating island in the sky .
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It just falls all over, all round me like a firework going off and floating down the sky .
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The drizzle was the ash of his burned offerings floating up into the sky .
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To the east, across miles of barren brownness, there were dunes floating in an azure sky - another spectacular mirage.
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One of the clouds over Bald Hill tore loose and floated down the sky toward us.
surface
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He may not even drink water at night, for fear of swallowing insects possibly floating on the surface .
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As the waves crashed round the hilltops the wizards' palaces broke free and floated on the surface of the waves.
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The rock-walled chimney slid downward, she floated toward the surface with her head tilted back, impatient for the upper world.
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He held on to the sides of the tub and let his legs float gently to the surface .
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Both leaves and flowers float on the surface .
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One floats at the water surface and is tied to a piece of cork.
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The skin of clear lacquer floating at the surface was used for artwork and fine lacquerware.
top
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When she went to the tank she saw the body of her son floating on top .
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The fish-heads floated at the top , their scaly jaws agog, eve-sockets empty.
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A sleeping female figure floats toward the top of the paper.
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One material floats on top of another because it has less density.
voice
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Instead, Tania Maria's voice floats sexily around swelling strings and simple acoustic guitar.
water
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But the bamboo sailing rafts needed less than a foot of water to float , and came gliding right into the shallows.
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Ellwood stood waist-high in the water as Carey floated free.
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But the water was mucky, floating with cigarette cartons and plastic mugs and rainbow streaks of oil.
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As she gazed seaward, far off on the water she saw something floating .
word
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Put the words float and sink on the board.
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I drove without a word , letting myself float on the wave of their hilarity.
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A deckhand on the ferry from Brooklyn whistled the tune, and the words floated up from nowhere.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be walking/floating on air
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Martha felt that she was walking on air and when she entered the kitchen, Annie looked up.
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She felt as though she was floating on air .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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a cup of coffee with black bits floating on the surface
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Annie was floating on her back in the water.
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Butler floated proposals for a number of films.
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Children were floating small boats made of banana leaves.
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Ice is less dense than water, which is why it floats.
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If the egg floats in a glass of water, it's not fresh.
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She turned, her hair floating around her face.
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Speck was a drifter who had floated in and out of trouble for most of his life.
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The administration had floated the idea of increased taxes on beer, spirits and tobacco.
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The empty boat floated off down the river.
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The following month, David floated the possibility of launching a new TV company.
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They could see something pale and white floating in the water.
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Tim was floating on his back in the pool.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Ace floated back to the doorway.
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And mostly I am like this, floating and remote.
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For example, Wynns floated the idea of eliminating surface street parking near the museum in exchange for a parking garage.
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It doesn't need brakes so much as mooring ropes to stop it floating away.
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The drizzle was the ash of his burned offerings floating up into the sky.
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The pitch came, and the ball floated in as big as a basketball.
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They are back in play now at 88p, but were floated at a quid each in 1983.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
milk
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The one crawling like a milk float .
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And they collected so much they had to use a milk float to deliver the load.
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This is milk float technology - it could have been more innovative.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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a root-beer float
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You can see the Rose Parade floats being made.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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A glass fishing float , five hundred miles from the sea.
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She might even make room for Louise on her float .
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The amount provided in the original cash float is deducted and placed in a separate banker's bag.
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The floral extravaganza featured 55 floats, 30 equestrian units and 24 marching bands.
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There were to be no marching bands, no floats, no politicians waving from convertibles, no clowns tossing candy.
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They came back on a parade float of prodigal love and public money, promising entertainment, nostalgia and success.