flo ‧ ta ‧ tion /fləʊˈteɪʃ ə n $ floʊ-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ float 1 ]
1 . a time when ↑ share s in a company are made available for people to buy for the first time:
The company has decided to postpone its flotation on the stock market.
2 . flotation chamber/compartment etc a container filled with air or gas, fixed to something to make it float