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Drift

//dɹɪft// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun

1
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; Anything driven at random. countable, physical, uncountable
"Some log perhaps upon the waters swam, a useless drift."
2
a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine wordnet
3
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; A mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc., especially by wind or water. countable, physical, uncountable
"a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, of plants, etc."
4
the pervading meaning or tenor wordnet
5
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; The distance through which a current flows in a given time. countable, physical, uncountable

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6
a general tendency to change (as of opinion) wordnet
7
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; A drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds. countable, physical, uncountable
"cattle coming over the bridge (with their great drifts doing much damage to the high ways)"
8
a large mass of material that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents wordnet
9
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; A collection of loose earth and rocks, or boulders, which have been distributed over large portions of the earth's surface, especially in latitudes north of forty degrees, by the retreat of continental glaciers, such as that which buries former river valleys and creates young river valleys. countable, physical, uncountable
"It is there seen that at a distance from the valleys of streams, the old glacial drift usually comes to the surface, and often rises into considerable eminences."
10
a force that moves something along wordnet
11
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; Driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach. countable, physical, uncountable
12
the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane) wordnet
13
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; A driving; a violent movement. countable, obsolete, physical, uncountable
"The dragon drew him [self] away with drift of his wings."
14
a process of linguistic change over a period of time wordnet
15
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting. countable, physical, uncountable
"Our drift was south."
16
Movement; that which moves or is moved.; That which is driven, forced, or urged along. countable, physical, uncountable
"The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom.[…]Drifts of yellow vapour, fiery, parching, stinging, filled the air."
17
The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse. countable, uncountable
"A bad man, being under the drift of any passion, will follow the impulse of it till something interpose."
18
A place (a ford) along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit crossing to the opposite side. countable, uncountable
19
The tendency of an act, argument, course of conduct, or the like; object aimed at or intended; intention; hence, also, import or meaning of a sentence or discourse; aim. countable, uncountable
"The Gods defenders of the innocent, Will neuer proſper your intended driftes, That thus oppreſſe poore friendles paſſengers."
20
The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments. countable, uncountable
21
A tool.; A slightly tapered tool of steel for enlarging or shaping a hole in metal, by being forced or driven into or through it; a broach. countable, uncountable
22
A tool.; A tool used to pack down the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework. countable, uncountable
23
A tool.; A tool used to insert or extract a removable pin made of metal or hardwood, for the purpose of aligning and/or securing two pieces of material together. countable, uncountable
24
A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to obloid projectiles. countable, uncountable
25
Minor deviation of audio or video playback from its correct speed. uncountable
"Reference sync servo system — permits minimal time-base error, assuring minimum jitter and drift."
26
The situation where a performer gradually and unintentionally moves from their proper location within the scene. uncountable
"There is another form of drift when playing in a scene with other actors."
27
A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery. countable, uncountable
28
An adit or tunnel driven forward for purposes of exploration or exploitation; generally eventually to a dead end. countable, uncountable
29
A sloping winze or road to the surface, for purposes of haulage. countable, uncountable
30
In a coal mine, a heading driven for exploration or ventilation. countable, uncountable
31
Of a boring or a driven tunnel: deviation from the intended course. countable, uncountable
32
A heading driven through a seam of coal. countable, uncountable
33
Movement.; The angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting. countable, uncountable
34
Movement.; The distance a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes. countable, uncountable
35
Movement.; The place in a deep-waisted vessel where the sheer is raised and the rail is cut off, and usually terminated with a scroll, or driftpiece. countable, uncountable
36
Movement.; The distance between the two blocks of a tackle. countable, uncountable
37
Movement.; The difference between the size of a bolt and the hole into which it is driven, or between the circumference of a hoop and that of the mast on which it is to be driven. countable, uncountable
38
A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler. countable, uncountable
39
Slow, cumulative change. countable, uncountable
"genetic drift"
40
In the New Forest National Park, UK, the bi-annual round-up of wild ponies in order to sell them. countable, uncountable

Verb

1
To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc. intransitive
"The boat drifted away from the shore."
2
be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current wordnet
3
To move haphazardly without any destination. intransitive
"He drifted from town to town, never settling down."
4
be subject to fluctuation wordnet
5
To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel. intransitive
"This car tends to drift left at high speeds."

Show 14 more definitions

6
drive slowly and far afield for grazing wordnet
7
To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body. transitive
"1865-1866, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua I was drifted back first to the ante - Nicene history , and then to the Church of Alexandria"
8
cause to be carried by a current wordnet
9
To drive into heaps. transitive
"A current of wind drifts snow or sand"
10
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment wordnet
11
To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps. intransitive
"Snow or sand drifts."
12
be in motion due to some air or water current wordnet
13
To make a drift; to examine a vein or ledge for the purpose of ascertaining the presence of metals or ores; to follow a vein; to prospect. US
14
move in an unhurried fashion wordnet
15
To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift. transitive
16
wander from a direct course or at random wordnet
17
To oversteer a vehicle, causing loss of traction, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. See Drifting (motorsport).
18
live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely wordnet
19
vary or move from a fixed point or course wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English drift, dryft (“act of driving, drove, shower of rain or snow, impulse”), from Old English *drift (“drift”), from Proto-Germanic *driftiz (“drift”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- (“to drive, push”). Equivalent to drive + -t; cognate with North Frisian drift (“drift”), Saterland Frisian Drift (“current, flow, stream, drift”), Dutch drift (“drift, passion, urge”), German Drift (“drift”) and Trift (“drove, pasture”), Danish drift (“impulse, instinct”), Swedish drift (“impulse, instinct”), Icelandic drift (“drift, snow-drift”).

Etymology 2

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