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Sail vs Float - What's the difference?

sail | float |

As nouns the difference between sail and float

is that sail is a piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the boat along. The sail may be attached to the boat via a combination of mast, spars and ropes while float is a buoyant device used to support something in water or another liquid.

As verbs the difference between sail and float

is that sail is to be impelled or driven forward by the action of wind upon sails, as a ship on water; to be impelled on a body of water by steam or other power while float is 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.

sail

English

(wikipedia sail)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) 'to cut'. More at saw.

Noun

(en noun)
  • (nautical) A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the boat along. The sail may be attached to the boat via a combination of mast, spars and ropes.
  • * : Scene 1: 496-497
  • When we have laugh'd to see the sails conceive / And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind;
  • (uncountable) The power harnessed by a sail or sails, or the use this power for travel or transport.
  • A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.
  • Let's go for a sail .
  • (dated) A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft. Plural sail .
  • Twenty sail were in sight.
  • The blade of a windmill.
  • A tower-like structure found on the dorsal (topside) surface of submarines.
  • The floating organ of siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
  • (fishing) A sailfish.
  • We caught three sails today.
  • (paleontology) an outward projection of the
  • Anything resembling a sail, such as a wing.
  • * Spenser
  • Like an eagle soaring / To weather his broad sails .
    Hyponyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * balloon sail * by sail * drag sail * dragon sail * point of sail * sailback * sailboard * sailboat * sailcloth * sailer * sailfish * sailing * studding sail * set sail * take the wind out of someone's sails * topsail * working sail

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) , cognate to earlier Middle Low German segelen and its descendant Low German sailen.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be impelled or driven forward by the action of wind upon sails, as a ship on water; to be impelled on a body of water by steam or other power.
  • To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a waterfowl.
  • To ride in a boat, especially a sailboat.
  • To set sail; to begin a voyage.
  • We sail for Australia tomorrow.
  • To move briskly and gracefully through the air.
  • * Shakespeare
  • As is a winged messenger of heaven, / When he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds, / And sails upon the bosom of the air.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=April 15 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=A hopeful ball from Forest right-back Brendan Moloney to the left edge of the area was met first by Ruddy but his attempted clearance rebounded off Tyson's leg and sailed in.}}
  • To move briskly.
  • Derived terms
    * sail close to the wind

    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