The term parade float, often shortened to float, is a term that was first used in the 1880s. We will examine the definition of a parade float, where the term came from and some examples of its use in sentences.
A parade float is a platform that is decorated for display in a parade. A parade float may be mounted on a vehicle such as a truck, or it may be free-standing and pulled by a vehicle such as a car or truck. A parade float may be decorated with any manner of artistic elements, usually according to the theme of the parade. The Tournament of Roses Parade is famous for involving floats that are constructed only from plant materials. A parade float may involve people performing or waving at the crowd from the moving platform. Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans are famous for the tossing of plastic beads to the crowd. Many bogus stories have been concocted concerning the origin of the term parade float, however the simple truth is that the word float was used in the nineteenth century to mean a shallow boat or a low, heavy frame attached to a wagon used to pull a heavy weight. The plural of parade float is parade floats.
Examples
On Monday, the Donate Life parade float, “The Gift of Time,” will participate in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade in California and will include a dedication garden made up of roses with hand written dedications by hospital CEOs across the country, including Dr. Charles Peck, president and CEO of Piedmont Athens Regional. (The Athens Banner-Herald)
On Thursday during the Military Bowl parade, McDavitt’s name was on the side of a parade float beneath a 16-foot likeness of an F-16 — the jet he maintained in the U.S. Air Force. (The Capital Gazette)