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Definition of Drift in English :

Define Drift in English

Drift meaning in English

Meaning of Drift in English

Pronunciation of Drift in English

Drift pronunciation in English

Pronounce Drift in English

Drift

see synonyms of drift

Noun

1. drift, impetus, impulsion

a force that moves something along

2. drift

the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane)

3. drift

a process of linguistic change over a period of time

4. drift

a large mass of material that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents

5. drift, movement, trend

a general tendency to change (as of opinion)

Example Sentences:
'not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book'
'a broad movement of the electorate to the right'

6. drift, purport

the pervading meaning or tenor

Example Sentences:
'caught the general drift of the conversation'

7. drift, gallery, heading

a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine

Example Sentences:
'they dug a drift parallel with the vein'

Verb

8. be adrift, blow, drift, float

be in motion due to some air or water current

Example Sentences:
'The leaves were blowing in the wind'
'the boat drifted on the lake'
'The sailboat was adrift on the open sea'
'the shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore'

9. drift, err, stray

wander from a direct course or at random

Example Sentences:
'The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her'
'don't drift from the set course'

10. cast, drift, ramble, range, roam, roll, rove, stray, swan, tramp, vagabond, wander

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

Example Sentences:
'The gypsies roamed the woods'
'roving vagabonds'
'the wandering Jew'
'The cattle roam across the prairie'
'the laborers drift from one town to the next'
'They rolled from town to town'

11. drift

vary or move from a fixed point or course

Example Sentences:
'stock prices are drifting higher'

12. drift, freewheel

live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely

Example Sentences:
'My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school'

13. drift

move in an unhurried fashion

Example Sentences:
'The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests'

14. drift

cause to be carried by a current

Example Sentences:
'drift the boats downstream'

15. drift

drive slowly and far afield for grazing

Example Sentences:
'drift the cattle herds westwards'

16. drift

be subject to fluctuation

Example Sentences:
'The stock market drifted upward'

17. drift

be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current

Example Sentences:
'snow drifting several feet high'
'sand drifting like snow'

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Drift

see synonyms of drift
verb (mainly intr)
1. (also tr)
to be carried along by or as if by currents of air or water or (of a current) to carry (a vessel, etc) along
2. 
to move aimlessly from place to place or from one activity to another
3. 
to wander or move gradually away from a fixed course or point; stray
4. (also tr)
(of snow, sand, etc) to accumulate in heaps or banks or to drive (snow, sand, etc) into heaps or banks
noun
5. 
something piled up by the wind or current, such as a snowdrift
6. 
tendency, trend, meaning, or purport
the drift of the argument
7. 
a state of indecision or inaction
8. 
the extent to which a vessel, aircraft, projectile, etc is driven off its course by adverse winds, tide, or current
9. 
a general tendency of surface ocean water to flow in the direction of the prevailing winds
North Atlantic Drift
10. 
a driving movement, force, or influence; impulse
11. 
a controlled four-wheel skid, used by racing drivers to take bends at high speed
12. 
a loose unstratified deposit of sand, gravel, etc, esp one transported and deposited by a glacier or ice sheet
13. 
a horizontal passage in a mine that follows the mineral vein
14. 
something, esp a group of animals, driven along by human or natural agencies
a drift of cattle
15. Also called: driftpin
a tapering steel tool driven into holes to enlarge or align them before bolting or riveting
16. 
an uncontrolled slow change in some operating characteristic of a piece of equipment, esp an electronic circuit or component
17. linguistics
gradual change in a language, esp in so far as this is influenced by the internal structure of the language rather than by contact with other languages
18. South Africa
a ford
19. engineering
a copper or brass bar used as a punch

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Drift

see synonyms of drift
noun
1. 
an act or instance of being driven or carried along, as by a current of air or water or by circumstances
2. 
the course on which something is directed or driven
3. 
the deviation of a ship, airplane, rocket, etc. from its path, caused by side currents or winds
4. 
a. 
the velocity of a current of water
b. 
a slow ocean current
5. 
a. 
a gradual shifting in position
b. 
a random course, variation, or deviation
6. 
a gradual movement or change in some direction or toward some end or purpose; trend; tendency
7. 
general meaning of what is said or done; intent; tenor
8. 
a. 
something driven, as rain, snow, or smoke driven before the wind, or floating matter driven by water currents
b. 
a heap of snow, sand, etc. piled up by the wind, or floating matter washed ashore
9.  US, Electronics
a deviation or variation of a quantity, as voltage, from its assigned value
10.  Geology
sand, gravel, boulders, etc. moved and deposited by a glacier or by water arising from its melting ice
11.  Linguistics
a gradual change along a certain line of development in the various elements of a language
12.  Mechanics
a. 
a tool used for ramming or driving down a heavy object
b. 
a tool for enlarging or shaping holes
13.  Mining
a. 
a horizontal passageway driven into or along the path of a vein or rock layer
b. 
a small tunnel connecting two larger shafts
verb intransitive
14. 
to be carried along by or as by a current
15. 
to be carried along by circumstances; go along aimlessly
16. 
to wander about from place to place, from job to job, etc.
17. 
to accumulate in heaps by force of wind or water
18. 
to become heaped with drifting snow, sand, etc.
19. 
to move easily or gradually away from a set position
20.  US and West
to range far afield in a drove, as in seeking pasture or escaping a storm
said of cattle
verb transitive
21. 
to cause to drift
22. 
to cover with drifts

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Drift

see synonyms of drift
v. drift·ed, drift·ing, drifts
v.intr.
1. To be carried along by currents of air or water: a balloon drifting eastward; as the wreckage drifted toward shore.
2. To proceed or move unhurriedly or aimlessly: drifting among the party guests; a day laborer, drifting from town to town.
3. To live or behave without a clear purpose or goal: drifted through his college years unable to decide on a career.
4. To have no continuing focus; stray: My attention drifted during the boring presentation.
5. To vary from or oscillate randomly about a fixed setting, position, or mode of operation.
6. To be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of a current: snow drifting to five feet.
v.tr.
1. To cause to be carried in a current: drifting the logs downstream.
2. To pile up in banks or heaps: Wind drifted the loose straw against the barn.
3. Western US To drive (livestock) slowly or far afield, especially for grazing.
n.
1. Something moving along in a current of air or water: a drift of logs in the river.
2. A bank or pile, as of sand or snow, heaped up by currents of air or water.
3. Geology Rock debris transported and deposited by or from ice, especially by or from a glacier.
4.
a. A general trend or tendency, as of opinion. See Synonyms at tendency.
b. General meaning or purport; tenor: caught the drift of the conversation.
5.
a. A gradual change in position: an iceberg's eastward drift.
b. A gradual deviation from an original course, model, method, or intention.
c. Variation or random oscillation about a fixed setting, position, or mode of behavior.
6. A gradual change in the output of a circuit or amplifier.
7. The rate of flow of a water current.
8.
a. A tool for ramming or driving something down.
b. A tapered steel pin for enlarging and aligning holes.
9.
a. A horizontal or nearly horizontal passageway in a mine running through or parallel to a vein.
b. A secondary mine passageway between two main shafts or tunnels.
10. A drove or herd, especially of swine.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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