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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



202 words match “FLOAT”

LAUNCH v.
To cause to move or slide from the land into the water; to set afloat; as, to launch a ship. With stays and cordage last he rigged the ship, And rolled on levers, launched her in the deep. Pope.
LEDGER n.
intended to carry weight. [Written also ligger.] Ledger bait, fishing bait attached to a floating line fastened to the bank of a stream, pond, etc. Walton. J. H. Walsh. -- Ledger line. See Leger line, under 3d Leger, a. -- Ledger wall (Mining), the wall under a vein; the foot wall. Raymond.
LEPAS n.
Any one of various species of Lepas, a genus of pedunculated barnacles found attached to floating timber, bottoms of ships, Gulf weed, etc.; -- called also goose barnacle. See Barnacle.
LEVITATE v.
To make buoyant; to cause to float in the air; as, to levitate a table. [Cant]
LEVITY n.
mething else of equal bulk; relative lightness, especially as shown by rising through, or floating upon, a contiguous substance; buoyancy; -- opposed to gravity. He gave the form of levity to that which ascended; to that which descended, the form of gravity. Sir. W. Raleigh. This bubble by reason of its comparative lev…
LIGGER n.
A baited line attached to a float, for night fishing. See Leger, a.
LILY n.
ia majalis), having a raceme of nodding, fragrant, white flowers. -- Lily pad, the large floating leaf of the water lily. [U. S.] Lowell. -- Tiger lily (Bot.), Lilium tigrinum, the sepals of which are blotched with black. -- Turk's-cap lily (Bot.) Lilium Martagon, a red lily with recurved sepals; also, the similar A…
LINE n.
. -- Water line (Shipbuilding), the outline of a horizontal section of a vessel, as when floating in the water.
LIVE v.
To outlast danger; to float; -- said of a ship, boat, etc.; as, no ship could live in such a storm. A strong mast that lived upon the sea. Shak. To live out, to be at service; to live away from home as a servant. [U. S.] -- To live with. (a) To dwell or to be a lodger with. (b) To cohabit with; to have intercourse with…
LOGROLLING n.
act or process of rolling logs from the place where they were felled to the stream which floats them to the sawmill or to market. In this labor neighboring camps of loggers combine to assist each other in turn. Longfellow. [U.S.]
MEERSCHAUM n.
A fine white claylike mineral, soft, and light enough when in dry masses to float in water. It is a hydrous silicate of magnesia, and is obtained chiefly in Asia Minor. It is manufacturd into tobacco pipes, cigar holders, etc. Also called sepiolite.
MELANAEMIA n.
A morbid condition in which the blood contains black pigment either floating freely or imbedded in the white blood corpuscles.
METACENTER; METACENTRE n.
intersection of a vertical line through the center of gravity of the fluid displaced by a floating body which is tipped through a small angle from its position of equilibrium, and the inclined line which was vertical through the center of gravity of the body when in equilibrium.
METEORIC a.
c stone. (Min.) See Meteorite. -- Meteoric paper, a substance of confervoid origin found floating in the air, and resembling bits of coarse paper; -- so called because formerly supposed to fall from meteors. -- Meteoric showers, periodical exhibitions of shooting stars, occuring about the 9th or 10th of August and 13…
MIASMA n.
Infectious particles or germs floating in the air; air made noxious by the presence of such particles or germs; noxious effluvia; malaria.
MIRAGE n.
sky. The fata Morgana and looming are species of mirage. By the mirage uplifted the land floats vague in the ether, Ships and the shadows of ships hang in the motionless air. Longfellow.
MIST n.
Coarse, watery vapor, floating or falling in visible particles, approaching the form of rain; as, Scotch mist.
MOTE n.
A small particle, as of floating dust; anything proverbially small; a speck. The little motes in the sun do ever stir, though there be no wind. Bacon. We are motes in the midst of generations. Landor.
MOTED a.
Filled with motes, or fine floating dust; as, the air. "Moted sunbeams." Tennyson.
NATANT a.
Floating in water, as the leaves of water lilies, or submersed, as those of many aquatic plants.
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