Flotation
//floʊˈteɪʃən// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A state of floating, or being afloat. countable, uncountable
- 2 financing a commercial enterprise by bond or stock shares wordnet
- 3 The ability (as of a tire or snowshoes) to stay on the surface of soft ground or snow. countable, uncountable
- 4 the phenomenon of floating (remaining on the surface of a liquid without sinking) wordnet
- 5 A process of separating minerals by agitating a mixture with water and detergents etc; selected substances being carried to the surface in air bubbles. countable, uncountable
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- 6 The launching onto the market of a tranche of stocks or shares, usually a new issue. British, countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"Gordo, a squirrel monkey, was catapulted 600 miles high in a Jupiter rocket, also on December 13, 1958, one year after the Soviets launched Laika. Gordo's capsule was never found in the Atlantic Ocean. He died on splashdown when a flotation mechanism failed, but Navy doctors said signals on his respiration and heartbeat proved humans could withstand a similar trip."
Etymology
From float + -ation.
Related phrases
More for "flotation"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.