/ fləʊˈteɪʃn; NAmE floʊ-/ noun
1.
(also float ) [ C , U ] ( business ) the process of selling shares in a company to the public for the first time in order to raise money :
plans for (a) flotation on the stock exchange
a stock-market flotation
2.
[ U ] the act of floating on or in water
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: alteration of floatation (from float ) on the pattern of French flottaison . The spelling flot- was influenced by flotilla .