floating island

noun

An aggregation of driftwood and roots, or vegetation, capable of bearing soil, which floats on the surface of (bog or lake) water or is floated out from a river delta or similar.

Meanings

nounfloating island (plural floating islands)

plural floating islands

  1. An aggregation of driftwood and roots, or vegetation, capable of bearing soil, which floats on the surface of (bog or lake) water or is floated out from a river delta or similar.

    Such a floating island could carry small animals such as frogs, lizards, or rats, the resistant eggs of other animals, and specimens of plants not adapted to oceanic dispersal.

    2010, C. Barry Cox, Peter D. Moore, Biogeography: An Ecological and Evolutionary Approach, page 225
  2. A French cold dessert consisting of an "island" of meringue, made of egg whites and sugar, floating in a "sea" of custard.
  3. Synonym of kitchen island.

    The floating island doubles as a place for the children to do their homework and eat meals.

    2006, Trends Very Best Kitchens & Bathrooms, page 69

    Synonyms: kitchen island

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of kitchen island.

Origin

  1. Frenchîle flottante
  2. Englishfloating island

Calque of French île flottante.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 漂浮島 /漂浮岛
  • 漂浮島 /漂浮岛a dessert
Finnish lautta, marenkipalloja vaniljakastikkeessa
  • lauttaan aggregation of driftwood, roots, etc.
  • marenkipalloja vaniljakastikkeessaa dessert
French île flottante, œufs à la neige
  • île flottantea dessert
  • œufs à la neigea dessert
German Schnee-Eier, Vogelmilch
  • Schnee-Eiera dessert
  • Vogelmilcha dessert
Hungarian madártej
  • madárteja dessert
Italian isola galleggiante, île flottante
  • isola galleggiantean aggregation of driftwood, roots, etc.
  • île flottantea dessert
  • isola galleggiantea dessert
Norwegian flyteholme
  • flyteholmean aggregation of driftwood, roots, etc.
Polish zupa nic
  • zupa nica dessert
Russian лижма, плавающий остров
  • лижма (ližma)an aggregation of driftwood, roots, etc.
  • плавающий остров (plavajuščij ostrov)a dessert
Swedish flottholme
  • flottholmean aggregation of driftwood, roots, etc.
Ukrainian плаваючий острів
  • плаваючий острів (plavajučyj ostriv)a dessert
Cite this entry
APA

floating island. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/floating%20island

MLA

“floating island.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/floating%20island. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “floating island,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/floating%20island.

Source: floating island on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.