drift

Noun

1. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
2. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
3. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
4. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
5. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
6. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
7. (countable, obsolete, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
8. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
9. (countable, physical, uncountable) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
10. (countable, uncountable) The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse.
11. (countable, uncountable) A place (a ford) along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit crossing to the opposite side.
12. (countable, uncountable) 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.
13. (countable, uncountable) The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.
14. (countable, uncountable) A tool.
15. (countable, uncountable) A tool.
16. (countable, uncountable) A tool.
17. (countable, uncountable) A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to obloid projectiles.
18. (uncountable) Minor deviation of audio or video playback from its correct speed.
19. (uncountable) The situation where a performer gradually and unintentionally moves from their proper location within the scene.
20. (countable, uncountable) A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery.
21. (countable, uncountable) An adit or tunnel driven forward for purposes of exploration or exploitation; generally eventually to a dead end.
22. (countable, uncountable) A sloping winze or road to the surface, for purposes of haulage.
23. (countable, uncountable) In a coal mine, a heading driven for exploration or ventilation.
24. (countable, uncountable) Of a boring or a driven tunnel: deviation from the intended course.
25. (countable, uncountable) A heading driven through a seam of coal.
26. (countable, uncountable) Movement.
27. (countable, uncountable) Movement.
28. (countable, uncountable) Movement.
29. (countable, uncountable) Movement.
30. (countable, uncountable) Movement.
31. (countable, uncountable) A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler.
32. (countable, uncountable) Slow, cumulative change.
33. (countable, uncountable) In New Forest National Park, UK, the bi-annual round-up of wild ponies in order to be sold.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc.
2. (intransitive) To move haphazardly without any destination.
3. (intransitive) To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel.
4. (transitive) To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body.
5. (transitive) To drive into heaps.
6. (intransitive) To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps.
7. (US) 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.
8. (transitive) To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift.
9. To oversteer a vehicle, causing loss of traction, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. See Drifting (motorsport).

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɹɪft/

Etymology

Cognate with Northern Frisian: drift

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Drift

Cognate with Dutch: drift

Cognate with German: Drift

Cognate with Danish: drift

Cognate with Swedish: drift

Cognate with Icelandic: drift

In summary

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”).

Synonyms

float

wander

roam

rove

waft

flow

sail

ramble

tramp

trend

be adrift

stray

heap

movement

glide

purport

range

bob

mass

meander

digress

current

tendency

stream

meaning

swan

🦢

leeway

drifting

impetus

gallery

vagabond

freewheel

circulate

deviation

travel

deflection

stack

run

roll

saunter

mosey

adrift

mound

scope

heading

herd

flock

cluster

blow

excursion