Floated

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈfləʊtɪd/

Definitions

1. Moved or remained on the surface of a liquid without sinking ; offered something such as an idea or proposal for discussion or acceptance ; circulated or issued, often relating to money or documents
2. Rested on water or another liquid without submerging ; put forward a plan or suggestion for approval ; caused to be distributed or spread, particularly concerning funds or concepts
3. Stayed afloat on a liquid's surface ; introduced or suggested something to be debated or agreed upon ; caused to move around freely, such as currency or information being spread

Etymology: This is an inflected form, so the account rests on the verb "float." That verb descends from Old English "flotian," meaning to float, which was built on a Germanic root shared with the modern English "flow" and "fleet." The same ancestor also gave Old English "flota," meaning sailor or boat, which is where the noun "float" for a raft or buoyant platform comes from. The past tense "floated" has the wider range of senses: resting on a liquid, presenting a proposal for approval, and releasing funds or ideas into circulation. These spread from the literal image of something drifting on water. The idea of "floating" a scheme carries the sense of setting it loose to see whether it stays up.

Synonyms: drifted, glided, hovered

Antonyms: sank, descended, dropped