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Drop vs Float - What's the difference?

drop | float |

As nouns the difference between drop and float

is that drop is a small mass of liquid just large enough to hold its own weight via surface tension, usually one that falls from a source of liquid while float is a buoyant device used to support something in water or another liquid.

As verbs the difference between drop and float

is that drop is to fall in droplets (of a liquid) while float is (lb) of an object or substance, to be supported by a liquid of greater density than the object so as that part of the object or substance remains above the surface.

drop

English

(wikipedia drop)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A small mass of liquid just large enough to hold its own weight via surface tension, usually one that falls from a source of liquid.
  • Put three drops of oil into the mixture.
  • The space or distance below a cliff or other high position into which someone or something could fall.
  • On one side of the road was a 50-foot drop .
  • A fall, descent; an act of dropping.
  • That was a long drop , but fortunately I didn't break any bones.
  • * '>citation
  • It moved in surges, like a roller coaster on a series of drops and high-banked turns.
  • A place where items or supplies may be left for others to collect, sometimes associated with criminal activity; a drop-off point.
  • I left the plans at the drop , like you asked.
  • An instance of dropping supplies or making a delivery, sometimes associated with delivery of supplies by parachute.
  • The delivery driver has to make three more drops before lunch.
  • (chiefly, British) a small amount of an alcoholic beverage; or when used with the definite article (the drop ), alcoholic spirits in general.
  • He usually enjoys a drop after dinner.
    It doesn't matter where you're from; anyone who enjoys the drop is a friend of mine.
  • (Ireland, informal) A single measure of whisky.
  • A small, round, sweet piece of hard candy, a lemon drop; a lozenge.
  • (American football) A dropped pass.
  • Yet another drop for the Tiger tight end.
  • (American football) Short for drop-back or drop back.
  • The Tiger quarterback took a one-step drop , expecting his tight end to be open.
  • In a woman'', the difference between bust circumference and hip circumference; ''in a man , the difference between chest circumference and waist circumference.
  • (video games, online gaming) Any item dropped by defeated enemies.
  • (music) A point in a song, usually electronic styled music such as dubstep, house and trance, where everything is played at once, also known highlight, or climax.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=June 26 , author=Genevieve Koski , title=Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=But musical ancestry aside, the influence to which Bieber is most beholden is the current trends in pop music, which means Believe is loaded up with EDM accouterments, seeking a comfortable middle ground where Bieber’s impressively refined pop-R&B croon can rub up on techno blasts and garish dubstep drops (and occasionally grind on some AutoTune, not necessarily because it needs it, but because a certain amount of robo-voice is expected these days).}}
  • (US, banking, dated) an unsolicited credit card issue
  • The vertical length of a hanging curtain.
  • That which resembles or hangs like a liquid drop: a hanging diamond ornament, an earring, a glass pendant on a chandelier, etc.
  • (architecture) A gutta.
  • A mechanism for lowering something, such as: a trapdoor; a machine for lowering heavy weights onto a ship's deck; a device for temporarily lowering a gas jet; a curtain which falls in front of a theatrical stage; etc.
  • A drop press or drop hammer.
  • (engineering) The distance of the axis of a shaft below the base of a hanger.
  • (nautical) The depth of a square sail; generally applied to the courses only.
  • Derived terms

    * dropless * droplike * raindrop

    Verb

    (dropp)
  • To fall in droplets (of a liquid).
  • * Spenser
  • The kindly dew drops from the higher tree, / And wets the little plants that lowly dwell.
  • To drip (a liquid).
  • * Creech
  • The trees drop balsam.
  • * Sterne
  • The recording angel, as he wrote it down, dropped a tear upon the word and blotted it out forever.
  • Generally, to fall (straight down).
  • (ergative) To let fall; to allow to fall (either by releasing hold of, or losing one's grip on).
  • To let drops fall; to discharge itself in drops.
  • * Bible, Psalms lxviii. 8
  • The heavens dropped at the presence of God.
  • To sink quickly to the ground.
  • To fall dead, or to fall in death.
  • * Digby
  • Nothing, says Seneca, so soon reconciles us to the thoughts of our own death, as the prospect of one friend after another dropping round us.
  • To come to an end (by not being kept up); to stop.
  • * 1897 , (Henry James), (What Maisie Knew) :
  • Maisie's faith in Mrs. Wix for instance had suffered no lapse from the fact that all communication with her had temporarily dropped .
  • To mention casually or incidentally, usually in conversation.
  • (slang) To part with or spend (money).
  • * 1949 , The Atlantian , v 8, Atlanta: United States Penitentiary, p 41:
  • The question was: Who put the most in the collection box? The wealthy guy, who dropped a “C” note, or the tattered old dame who parted with her last tarnished penny.
  • * 2000 , Lisa Reardon, Blameless: A Novel , Random House, p 221:
  • I forked over the $19.25. I was in no position to be dropping twenties like gumdrops but I deserved something good from this crappy morning.
  • To cease concerning oneself over; to have nothing more to do with (a subject, discussion etc.).
  • * S. Sharp
  • They suddenly drop't the pursuit.
  • * Thackeray
  • that astonishing ease with which fine ladies drop you and pick you up again
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • The connection had been dropped many years.
  • To lessen, decrease, or diminish in value, condition, degree, etc.
  • * , chapter=17
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.}}
  • To let (a letter etc.) fall into a postbox; to send (a letter or message).
  • To make (someone or something) fall to the ground from a blow, gunshot etc.; to bring down, to shoot down.
  • * 1846, ed. by G. W. Nickisson, “Elephant-Shooting in Ceylon”, in , vol. XXXIII, no. CXCVII
  • page 562: ...if the first shot does not drop him, and he rushes on, the second will be a very hurried and most likely ineffectual one...
    page 568 ...with a single shot he dropped him like a master of the art.
  • * 1892 , Alexander A. A. Kinloch, Large Game Shooting in Thibet, the Himalayas, Northern and Central India , page 126
  • As with all other animals, a shot behind the shoulder is the most likely to drop the beast on the spot
  • * 1921 , Daniel Henderson, Boone of the Wilderness , page 54
  • He dropped the beast with a bullet in its heart.
  • * 1985 , (Beastie Boys), :
  • The piano player's out, the music stopped / His boy had beef, and he got dropped ...
  • * 1992, Dan Parkinson, Dust on the Wind , page 164
  • With a quick clench of the fist on Joey's throat, Bodie dropped him. The man crumpled to the ground
  • (linguistics) To fail to write, or (especially) to pronounce (a syllable, letter etc.).
  • (cricket, of a fielder) To fail to make a catch from a batted ball that would have lead to the batsman being out.
  • (slang) To swallow (a drug), particularly LSD.
  • to dispose (of); get rid of; to remove; to lose
  • to eject; to dismiss; to cease to include, as if on a list.
  • (slang) To impart.
  • (transitive, music, colloquial) To release to the public.
  • (music) To play a portion of music in the manner of a disc jockey.
  • (intransitive, music, colloquial) To enter public distribution.
  • (music) To tune (a guitar string, etc.) to a lower note.
  • To cancel or end a scheduled event, project or course
  • (fast food) To cook, especially by deep-frying or grilling.
  • (of a voice) To lower in timbre, often relating to puberty.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=June 26, author=Genevieve Koski, work=The Onion AV Club
  • , title= Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe , passage=The 18-year-old Bieber can’t quite pull off the “adult” thing just yet: His voice may have dropped a bit since the days of “Baby,” but it still mostly registers as “angelic,” and veers toward a pubescent whine at times. }}
  • (of a sound or song) To lower in pitch, tempo, key, or other quality.
  • (of people) To visit informally; used with in'' or ''by .
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.}}
  • To give birth to.
  • to drop a lamb
  • To cover with drops; to variegate; to bedrop.
  • * Milton
  • their waved coats dropped with gold
  • To hang lower and begin producing sperm due to puberty.
  • Derived terms

    (terms derived from the noun or verb "drop") * a drop in the bucket * air-drop * at the drop of a hat * black drop effect * cough drop * dewdrop * drop a bollock * drop a bomb * drop a dime * drop a line * drop-add form * drop back, drop-back * drop-ball * drop by * drop cap * drop cloth * drop curtain * drop dead, drop-dead * drop-down * drop goal * drop in, drop-in * drop kerb * drop kick, drop-kicker * drop-leaf table * droplet * drop like flies * drop off, dropoff, drop-off * drop out, dropout, drop-out * dropper * droppings * drop scene * drop scone * drop shot * drop the gloves * drop the ball * drop trou * eye-drop * get the drop on * name-drop, name-dropping * one drop * one-drop rule * the penny drops * Turkey drop * raindrop * so quiet one can hear a pin drop * teardrop * waiting for the other shoe to drop

    float

    English

    (wikipedia float)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (lb) Of an object or substance, to be supported by a liquid of greater density than the object so as that part of the object or substance remains above the surface.
  • The boat floated on the water.
    The oil floated on the vinegar.
  • (lb) To cause something to be suspended in a liquid of greater density; as, to float a boat.
  • (lb) To be capable of floating.
  • That boat doesn’t float .
    Oil floats on vinegar.
  • (lb) To move in a particular direction with the liquid in which one is floating
  • I’d love to just float downstream.
  • (lb) To drift or wander aimlessly.
  • I’m not sure where they went... they’re floating around here somewhere.
    Images from my childhood floated through my mind.
  • (lb) To drift gently through the air.
  • The balloon floated off into the distance.
  • (lb) To move in a fluid manner.
  • The dancer floated gracefully around the stage.
  • (of an idea or scheme) To be viable.
  • That’s a daft idea... it’ll never float .
  • (lb) To propose (an idea) for consideration.
  • I floated the idea of free ice-cream on Fridays, but no one was interested.
  • (lb) To automatically adjust a parameter as related parameters change.
  • (of currencies) To have an exchange value determined by the markets as opposed to by rule.
  • The yen floats against the dollar.
  • To allow (the exchange value of a currency) to be determined by the markets.
  • The government floated the pound in January.
    Increased pressure on Thailand’s currency, the baht, in 1997 led to a crisis that forced the government to float the currency.
  • To extend a short-term loan to.
  • Could you float me $50 until payday?
  • To issue or sell shares in a company (or units in a trust) to members of the public, followed by listing on a stock exchange.
  • * 2005 June 21, Dewi Cooke, (The Age) [http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/shoemaker-strides-for-world-domination/2005/06/20/1119250927926.html?from=moreStories],
  • He [Mario Moretti Polegato] floated the company on the Milan Stock Exchange last December and sold 29 per cent of its shares, mostly to American investors.
  • * 2007', Jonathan Reuvid, '''''Floating Your Company: The Essential Guide to Going Public .
  • * 2011 , Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI Yearbook 2011: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security , footnote i, page 269,
  • As a result of this reverse acquisition, Hurlingham changed its name to Manroy plc and floated shares on the Alternative Investment Market in London.
  • (lb) To use a float (tool).
  • It is time to float this horse's teeth.
  • (lb) To perform a .
  • Derived terms

    * float someone's boat * whatever floats your boat

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A buoyant device used to support something in water or another liquid.
  • Attach the float and the weight to the fishing line, above the hook.
  • A mass of timber or boards fastened together, and conveyed down a stream by the current; a raft.
  • A float board.
  • A tool similar to a rasp, used in various trades.
  • A sort of trowel used for finishing concrete surfaces or smoothing plaster.
  • When pouring a new driveway, you can use a two-by-four as a float .
  • An elaborately decorated trailer or vehicle, intended for display in a parade or pageant.
  • That float covered in roses is very pretty.
  • (lb) A small vehicle used for local deliveries, especially in the term milk float.
  • * 1913 ,
  • As soon as the skies brightened and plum-blossom was out, Paul drove off in the milkman's heavy float up to Willey Farm.
  • (lb) Funds committed to be paid but not yet paid.
  • Our bank does a nightly sweep of accounts, to adjust the float so we stay within our reserves limit.
  • An offering of shares in a company (or units in a trust) to members of the public, normally followed by a listing on a stock exchange.
  • 2006', ''You don't actually need a broker to buy shares in a '''float when a company is about to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.'' — financial tips article, ''Buying shares in a float [http://www.fido.asic.gov.au/fido/fido.nsf/print/Buying+shares+in+a+float?opendocument]
  • (lb) The total amount of checks/cheques or other drafts written against a bank account but not yet cleared and charged against the account.
  • No sir, your current float is not taken into account, when assets are legally garnished.
  • (lb) Premiums taken in but not yet paid out.
  • We make a lot of interest from our nightly float .
  • (lb) A floating-point number.
  • That routine should not have used an int; it should be a float .
  • A soft beverage with a scoop of ice-cream floating in it.
  • It's true - I don't consider anything other than root-beer with vanilla ice-cream to be a "real" float .
  • A small sum of money put in a cashier's till at the start of business to enable change to be made.
  • (lb) A maneuver where a player calls on the flop or turn with a weak hand, with the intention of after a subsequent community card.
  • (lb) One of the loose ends of yarn on an unfinished work.
  • (lb) a car carrier or car transporter truck or truck-and-trailer combination
  • (lb) a lowboy trailer
  • (lb) A device sending a copious stream of water to the heated surface of a bulky object, such as an anvil or die.
  • (Knight)
  • (lb) The act of flowing; flux; flow.
  • (Francis Bacon)
  • A quantity of earth, eighteen feet square and one foot deep.
  • (Mortimer)
  • A polishing block used in marble working; a runner.
  • (Knight)
  • A coal cart.
  • (Simmonds)

    Synonyms

    * initial public offering

    Derived terms

    * floatplane