floater

noun

float·​er ˈflō-tər 

1

a

: one that floats

b

: a person who floats something

2

: a person who votes illegally in various polling places

3

a

: a person without a permanent residence or regular employment

b

: a worker who moves from job to job

especially : one without fixed duties

4

: a pitched, thrown, or hit ball that moves through the air relatively slowly with little or no spin or rotation

5

: a policy insuring specific items of personal property (such as jewelry or art)

6

: a bit of optical debris (such as a dead cell or cell fragment) in the vitreous humor or lens that may be perceived as a spot before the eye

also : a spot in the visual field due to such debris

—usually used in plural

7

US : floating holiday

Examples of floater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although float season begins earlier than usual, the opening weekend may be a bit chillier than floaters would like. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 June 2025

Plum had another chance to win it at the buzzer, but her floater rimmed out, sending the game to overtime. —Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025

Jalen Brunson’s tie-breaking floater with 1:17 remaining gave the Knicks a 100-98 lead and held up as the game-winner. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025

Jalen Brunson’s driving floater with 35.2 seconds left in overtime gave the Knicks a 135-134 lead, but Andrew Nembhard’s lay-up with 26.1 seconds left served as the game-winner for Indiana. —Peter Sblendorio, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for floater

• boater
• motor
• rotor
• voter
• locomotor
• psychomotor
• servomotor
• vasomotor
• oculomotor
• sensorimotor
• premotor
• promoter

Medical Definition

floater

noun

float·​er ˈflōt-ər 

: a bit of optical debris (as a dead cell or cell fragment) in the vitreous body or lens that may be perceived as a spot before the eye

also : a spot in the visual field due to such debris

—usually used in plural compare muscae volitantes

Legal Definition

floater

noun

float·​er

1

[from the notion that the policy “floats” with the goods it insures, wherever they might be located] : a policy or supplemental attachment to a policy insuring specific items of personal property (as jewelry or art)

specifically : a policy of insurance to protect against loss or damage of goods in transit or goods (as jewels) naturally subject to use in various places

called also floating policy

2

: a debt security that yields an indexed variable rate of interest

especially : floating rate note at note