floor
noun
flɔː(r) 
flɔːr of room
1 [countable, usually singular] the surface of a room that you walk ona wooden/concrete/marble, etc. floorceramic floor tilesThe body was lying on the kitchen floor.The furniture and floor coverings date from the 1920s.The alterations should give us extra floor space.of vehicle
2 (North American English also floorboard) [countable, usually singular] the bottom surface of a vehicleThe floor of the car was covered in cigarette ends.level of building
3 [countable] all the rooms that are on the same level of a buildingHer office is on the second floor.the Irish guy who lives two floors aboveThere is a lift to all floors.Their house is on three floors (= it has three floors). see also ground floorof the sea/forests
4 [countable, usually singular] the ground at the bottom of the sea, a forest, etcthe ocean/valley/cave/forest floorin parliament, etc.
5 the floor [singular] the part of a building where discussions or debates are held, especially in a parliament; the people who attend a discussion or debateOpposition politicians registered their protest on the floor of the House.We will now take any questions from the floor.area for work
6 [countable, usually singular] an area in a building that is used for a particular activityon the floor of the Stock Exchange (= where trading takes place) see also dance floor, factory floor, shop floorfor wages/prices
7 [countable, usually singular] the lowest level allowed for wages or pricesPrices have gone through the floor (= fallen to a very low level). compare ceiling (2)Idioms
get/be given/have the floor
to get/be given/have the right to speak during a discussion or debate
hold the floor
to speak during a discussion or debate, especially for a long time so that nobody else is able to say anything
She held the floor for over an hour.take (to) the floor
to start dancing on a dance floor
Couples took the floor for the last dance of the evening.wipe/mop the floor with somebody
(informal) to defeat somebody completely in an argument or a competition
Usage note: floorground land earthThese are all words for the surface that you walk on.floor the surface of a room that you walk on: She was sitting on the floor watching TV.ground (often the ground) the solid surface of the earth that you walk on: I found her lying on the ground. ◇ The rocket crashed a few seconds after it left the ground.land the surface of the earth that is not sea: It was good to be back on dry land again. ◇ They fought both at sea and on land.earth (often the earth) the solid surface of the world that is made of rock, soil, sand, etc: You could feel the earth shake as the truck came closer.ground, land or earth?Ground is the normal word for the solid surface that you walk on when you are not in a building or vehicle. You can use earth if you want to draw attention to the rock, soil etc. that the ground is made of. Land is only used when you want to contrast it with the sea: the land beneath our feet ◇ feel the land shake ◇ sight ground/earth ◇ travel by ground/earthon/under the floor/ground/earthbare floor/ground/earthto drop/fall to the floor/the ground/(the) earthto reach the floor/the ground/landUsage note: floorIn British English the floor of a building at street level is the ground floor, the one above it is the first floor and the one below it is the basement, or lower ground floor in a public building.In North American English the floor at street level is usually called the first floor, the one above it is the second floor and the one below it is the basement. In public buildings the floor at street level can also be called the ground floor. note at storeyUsage note: storey / floorYou use storey (British English)/story (North American English) mainly when you are talking about the number of levels a building has: a five-storey house ◇ The office building is five storeys high.Floor is used mainly to talk about which particular level in the building someone lives on, goes to, etc: His office is on the fifth floor. note at floor