Part 4408

<hw>Flo"ta</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Sp. See <er>Flotilla</er>.]</ety> <def>A fleet; especially, a <?/eet of Spanish ships which formerly sailed every year from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, in Mexico, to transport to Spain the production of Spanish America.</def>

<h1>Flotage</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flo"tage</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OF. <ets>flotage</ets>, F. <ets>flottage</ets>, fr. <ets>flotter</ets> to float.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The state of floating.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>That which floats on the sea or in rivers.</def> <altsp>[Written also <asp>floatage</asp>.]</altsp>

<h1>Flotant</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flo"tant</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[OF. <ets>flotant</ets>, F. <ets>flottant</ets>, p.pr. of <ets>flotter</ets> to float.]</ety> <fld>(Her.)</fld> <def>Represented as flying or streaming in the air; <as>as, a banner <ex>flotant</ex></as>.</def>

<h1>Flotation</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flo*ta"tion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>flottation</ets> a floating, <ets>flottaison</ets> water line, fr. <ets>flotter</ets> to float. See <er>Flotilla</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The act, process, or state of floating.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The science of floating bodies.</def>

<cs><col>Center of flotation</col>. <fld>(Shipbuilding)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <cd>The center of any given plane of flotation.</cd> <sd>(b)</sd> <cd>More commonly, the middle of the length of the load water line.</cd> <i>Rankine.</i> -- <mcol><col>Plane, &or; Line</col>, <col>of flotation</col></mcol>, <cd>the plane or line in which the horizontal surface of a fluid cuts a body floating in it. See <er>Bearing</er>, <tt>n.</tt>, 9 (<it>c<it>).</cd> -- <col>Surface of flotation</col> <fld>(Shipbuilding)</fld>, <cd>the imaginary surface which all the planes of flotation touch when a vessel rolls or pitches; the envelope of all such planes.</cd></cs>

<h1>Flote</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flote</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <def>To fleet; to skim.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Tusser.</i>

<h1>Flote</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flote</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>flot</ets>, L. <ets>fluctus</ets>; also cf. <er>Float</er>, <tt>n.</tt>]</ety> <def>A wave.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark> "The Mediterranean <i>flote</i>."

<i>Shak.</i>

<h1>Flotery</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flot"er*y</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Wavy; flowing.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>With <b>flotery</b> beard. <i>Chaucer.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Flotilla</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flo*til"la</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Sp. <ets>flotilla</ets>, dim. of <ets>flota</ets> fleet; akin to F. <ets>flotte</ets>, It. <ets>flotta</ets>, and F. <ets>flot</ets> wave, fr. L. <ets>fluctus</ets>, but prob. influenced by words akin to E. <ets>float</ets>. See <er>Fluctuate</er>, and cf. <er>Float</er>, <tt>n.</tt>]</ety> <def>A little fleet, or a fleet of small vessels.</def>

<h1>Flotsam, Flotson</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw><hw>Flot"sam</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Flot"son</hw> <tt>(?)</tt><hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>flotter</ets> to float. See <er>FFlotilla</er>, and cf. <er>Jetsam</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Law)</fld> <def>Goods lost by shipwreck, and floating on the sea; -- in distinction from <i>jetsam</i> or <i>jetson</i>.</def>

<i>Blackstone.</i>

<h1>Flotten</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flot"ten</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>p. p.</tt> <mord>of <er>Flote</er>, <tt>v. t.</tt></mord> <def>Skimmed.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<h1>Flounce</h1> <Xpage=573>

<hw>Flounce</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Flounced</er> <tt>(flounst)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Flouncing</er> <tt>(?)</tt>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Cf. OSw. <ets>flunsa</ets> to immerge.]</ety> <def>To throw the limbs and body one way and the other; to spring, turn, or twist with sudden effort or violence; to struggle, as a horse in mire; to flounder; to throw one's self with a jerk or spasm, often as in displeasure.</def>