Drift

Some log perhaps upon the waters swam, a useless drift.

a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, of plants, etc.

Drifts of rising dust involve the sky.

We […] got the brig a good bed in the rushing drift [of ice].

Many of these ground-layer plants were placed in naturalistic drifts to make it appear as if they were sowing themselves.

"During the winter, we get really bad snow conditions. We can go to eight inches of snow above the railhead, then the trains are stopped. It's usually more like four inches, but you get big drifts up towards Rannoch.

cattle coming over the bridge (with their great drifts doing much damage to the high ways)

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.

The dragon drew him [self] away with drift of his wings.

Our drift was south.

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.

A bad man, being under the drift of any passion, will follow the impulse of it till something interpose.

The Gods defenders of the innocent, Will neuer proſper your intended driftes, That thus oppreſſe poore friendles paſſengers.

c. early 1700s, Joseph Addison, A Discourse on Ancient and Modern Learning He has made the drift of the whole poem a compliment on his country in general.

Now thou knowest my drift.

Besides, you lack the brains to catch my drift. / If I explained you wouldn't understand.

Reference sync servo system — permits minimal time-base error, assuring minimum jitter and drift.

There is another form of drift when playing in a scene with other actors.

genetic drift

The boat drifted away from the shore.

The balloon was drifting in the breeze.

One day I was out in the barn and he drifted in. I was currying the horse and he set down on the wheelbarrow and begun to ask questions.

He drifted from town to town, never settling down.

This car tends to drift left at high speeds.

Midway through the half, Argentine Tevez did begin to drift inside in order to exert his influence but by this stage Mick McCarthy's side had gone 1-0 up and looked comfortable.

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

A current of wind drifts snow or sand

Snow or sand drifts.