afloat
adjective/əˈfləʊt/
/əˈfləʊt/
[not before noun]- floating on water
- Somehow we kept the boat afloat.
- He could not swim and only a life jacket kept him afloat.
Extra Examples- The children set their new boat afloat on the lake.
- They were struggling to keep the vessel afloat.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- keep
- remain
- …
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- (of a business, etc.) having enough money to pay debts; able to survive
- They will have to borrow £10 million next year, just to stay afloat.
- They had to sell their assets to keep the business afloat.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- keep
- stay
- keep something
- …
Word OriginOld English on flote (from a- ‘to, towards’ and float), influenced in Middle English by Old Norse á flot(i) and Old French en flot.
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afloat