floating

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adj. not fixed in one position or not belonging to a specific group.

adj. not fixed in a permanent position; shifting or unattached to a specific entity.

“Floating voters often wait until the last week to decide which candidate to support.”

“The company maintains a floating population of freelance consultants to handle seasonal spikes in project demands.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Technical

n. the act of smoothing out plaster on a wall.

n. the process of smoothing or spreading plaster or cement on a surface using a flat tool.

“The builder finished the floating of the kitchen walls yesterday.”

“Proper floating is essential to ensure the final coat of plaster adheres evenly to the masonry substrate.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Medicine Technical

n. filing down the sharp edges of a horse's teeth.

n. a veterinary dental procedure involving the filing of the sharp enamel points on the teeth of horses.

“The vet recommended floating the horse's teeth to help it eat more comfortably.”

“Regular floating is a critical component of equine dental maintenance, preventing oral ulcerations caused by sharp enamel overgrowths.”

C2 · Proficiency Science Academic · Technical

adj. a sound or tone that is not attached to a specific part of a word.

adj. describes a phonological feature, such as a tone, that is not underlyingly attached to a specific segment.

“In some languages, a floating tone can change the meaning of a whole sentence.”

“The analysis suggests that the floating high tone associates with the final syllable of the verb stem only under specific syntactic conditions.”