flotation

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /floʊˈteɪʃən/ UK /fləʊˈteɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #52261

Meanings

1

noun
the act, process, or capacity of floating in a liquid or gas

Air chambers provide enough flotation to keep the raft above water.
2

noun
a separation process in which selected particles attach to bubbles and rise to the surface of a liquid

The mine uses froth flotation to separate valuable minerals from waste rock.
3

noun
the offering of a company's shares to the public for the first time

The company raised new capital through a stock-market flotation.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act, process, or... floating buoyancy

2 noun · a separation process in... froth flotationfloat separation

3 noun · the offering of a company's... public offeringstock launch

Opposites

sinkingsubmersion

Word family

Related forms float buoyant flotillainitial public offering

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

flotation device
equipment that provides buoyancy to help someone stay above water

Noun + noun

Etymology

Formed from float + -ation in the early nineteenth century. Float came through Middle English floten from Old English flotian, 'to float.' The mineral-processing and stock-market senses both extend the idea of bringing something to the surface or launching it into circulation.

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# flotation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /floʊˈteɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /fləʊˈteɪʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 52261

## Meanings
1. the act, process, or capacity of floating in a liquid or gas
2. a separation process in which selected particles attach to bubbles and rise to the surface of a liquid
3. the offering of a company's shares to the public for the first time

## Examples
- Air chambers provide enough flotation to keep the raft above water.
- The mine uses froth flotation to separate valuable minerals from waste rock.
- The company raised new capital through a stock-market flotation.

## Synonyms
- floating
- buoyancy
- froth flotation
- public offering

## Antonyms
- sinking
- submersion

## Related Forms
- float
- buoyant
- flotilla
- initial public offering

## Etymology
Formed from float + -ation in the early nineteenth century. Float came through Middle English floten from Old English flotian, 'to float.' The mineral-processing and stock-market senses both extend the idea of bringing something to the surface or launching it into circulation.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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