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floor (n.)

Old English flor "floor, pavement, ground, bottom (of a lake, etc.)," from Proto-Germanic *floruz "floor" (source also of Middle Dutch and Dutch vloer, Old Norse flor "floor," Middle High German vluor "floor, flooring," German Flur "field, meadow"), from PIE *plaros "flat surface" (source also of Welsh llawr "ground"), enlarged from root *pele- (2) "flat; to spread."

Meaning "level of a house" is from 1580s. The figurative sense in legislative assemblies (1774) is in reference to the "floor" where members sit and from which they speak (as opposed to the platform). Spanish suelo "floor" is from Latin solum "bottom, ground, soil;" German Boden is cognate with English bottom (n.). Floor-plan is attested from 1794; floor-board from 1787, floor-lamp from 1886, floor-length (adj.) of dresses is from 1910. The retail store's floor-walker is attested from 1862.

floor (v.)

early 15c., "to furnish with a floor," from floor (n.). Sense of "puzzle, confound" is from 1830, a figurative use, from earlier sense of "knock down to the floor" (1640s). In mid-19c. English university slang, it meant "do thoroughly and successfully" (1852). Related: Floored; flooring.

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Definitions of floor from WordNet
1
floor (n.)
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure);
we spread our sleeping bags on the dry floor of the tent
they needed rugs to cover the bare floors
Synonyms: flooring
floor (n.)
a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale;
Synonyms: level / storey / story
floor (n.)
a lower limit;
the government established a wage floor
Synonyms: base
floor (n.)
the ground on which people and animals move about;
the fire spared the forest floor
floor (n.)
the bottom surface of any lake or other body of water;
floor (n.)
the lower inside surface of any hollow structure;
the floor of the pelvis
the floor of the cave
floor (n.)
the occupants of a floor;
the whole floor complained about the lack of heat
floor (n.)
the parliamentary right to address an assembly;
the chairman granted him the floor
floor (n.)
the legislative hall where members debate and vote and conduct other business;
there was a motion from the floor
floor (n.)
a large room in a exchange where the trading is done;
he is a floor trader
Synonyms: trading floor
2
floor (v.)
surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off;
I was floored when I heard that I was promoted
Synonyms: shock / ball over / blow out of the water / take aback
floor (v.)
knock down with force;
Synonyms: deck / coldcock / dump / knock down
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near floor

flood

flood-gate

floodlight

flood-plain

flood-tide

floor

flooring

floozie

flop

flophouse

floppy

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