What does it mean to "float" someone?

To float someone has several distinct meanings depending on context, and it is often used as slang. In business or financial contexts, to float someone means to lend them money temporarily to cover expenses until they can pay you back, like floating someone a loan to help them through the month, or floating the bill for dinner. In social contexts, to float someone an idea means to suggest something to them to see how they react. In older British slang, to float someone could mean to support them financially or keep them afloat. In medical or first aid slang, to float someone might refer to placing them in water for buoyancy. In internet and gaming slang, to float someone can mean to keep them in the game, keep them included, or to ignore them and let them drift, depending on the community. In a more negative sense, in some urban slang, to float someone can mean to leave them hanging, not commit, or ghost them lightly. In the entertainment industry, to float someone's name means to propose them for a role or position to gauge interest. The core idea is to provide temporary support, whether financial, social, or conversational, to keep someone or something going.