drift (dr ft)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 and smoothly: drifting among the party guests. 3. To move leisurely or sporadically from place to place, especially without purpose or regular employment: a day laborer, drifting from town to town. 4. a. To wander from a set course or point of attention; stray. b. To vary from or oscillate randomly about a fixed setting, position, or mode of operation. 5. 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 U.S. To drive (livestock) slowly or far afield, especially for grazing. n. 1. The act or condition of drifting. 2. Something moving along in a current of air or water. 3. A bank or pile, as of sand or snow, heaped up by currents of air or water. 4. Geology Rock debris transported and deposited by or from ice, especially by or from a glacier. 5. 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. 6. a. A gradual change in position. 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. 7. A gradual change in the output of a circuit or amplifier. 8. The rate of flow of a water current. 9. a. A tool for ramming or driving something down. b. A tapered steel pin for enlarging and aligning holes. 10. 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. 11. A drove or herd, especially of swine. See Synonyms at flock1. [From Middle English, drove, herd, act of driving; see dhreibh- in Indo-European roots.] drift  y adj. |
drift
Verb
1. to be carried along by currents of air or water
2. to move aimlessly from one place or activity to another
3. to wander away from a fixed course or point
4. (of snow) to pile up in heaps
Noun
1. something piled up by the wind or current, as a snowdrift
2. a general movement or development: there has been a drift away from family control
3. the main point of an argument or speech: I was beginning to get his drift
4. the extent to which a vessel or aircraft is driven off course by winds, etc.
5. a current of water created by the wind [Old Norse]
Drift a number of animals driven or moving along in a body; a mass of matter driven forward. See also creaght, drive.
Examples: drift of anglers; of bees; of birds; of cattle, 1613; of dust, 1725; of fishers—Bk. of St. Albans, 1486; of fishing nets, 1834; of gold, 1645; of hogs; of ice; of lace, 1889; of leaves of trees, 1600; of men, 1450; of oxen, 1552; of piles, 1721; of quailes, 1613; of rain, 1300; of sand, 1634; of sheep, 1816; of smoke, 1842; of snow, 1300; of swans; of swine [tame]—Bk. of St. Albans, 1486; of wood [floating in the sea], 1627.
In ballistics, a shift in projectile direction due to gyroscopic action which results from gravitational and atmospherically induced torques on the spinning projectile.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  drift - a force that moves something along force - (physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity; "force equals mass times acceleration" |
| 2. | drift - the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane) aeroplane, airplane, plane - an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets; "the flight was delayed due to trouble with the airplane" ship - a vessel that carries passengers or freight leeway - (of a ship or plane) sideways drift natural action, natural process, action, activity - a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings); "the action of natural forces"; "volcanic activity" | |
| 3. | drift - a process of linguistic change over a period of time melioration - the linguistic process in which over a period of time a word grows more positive in connotation or more elevated in meaning linguistic process - a process involved in human language | |
| 4. | drift - a large mass of material that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents drumlin - a mound of glacial drift mass - a body of matter without definite shape; "a huge ice mass" snowdrift - a mass of snow heaped up by the wind | |
| 5. | drift - a general tendency to change (as of opinion); "not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book"; "a broad movement of the electorate to the right" inclination, tendency, disposition - an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others; "he had an inclination to give up too easily"; "a tendency to be too strict" evolutionary trend - a general direction of evolutionary change gravitation - a figurative movement toward some attraction; "the gravitation of the middle class to the suburbs" | |
| 6. | drift - the pervading meaning or tenor; "caught the general drift of the conversation" | |
| 7. | drift - a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine; "they dug a drift parallel with the vein" mining, excavation - the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth passageway - a passage between rooms or between buildings | |
| Verb | 1. | drift - be in motion due to some air or water current; "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" go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" float - move lightly, as if suspended; "The dancer floated across the stage" waft - be driven or carried along, as by the air; "Sounds wafted into the room" tide - be carried with the tide drift - cause to be carried by a current; "drift the boats downstream" stream - to extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind; "their manes streamed like stiff black pennants in the wind" |
| 2. | drift - wander from a direct course or at random; "The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her"; "don't drift from the set course" go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" rove, stray, roam, vagabond, wander, swan, ramble, range, drift, tramp, cast, roll - move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment; "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" | |
| 3. |  drift - move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment; "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"go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" maunder - wander aimlessly drift, err, stray - wander from a direct course or at random; "The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her"; "don't drift from the set course" wander - go via an indirect route or at no set pace; "After dinner, we wandered into town" | |
| 4. | drift - vary or move from a fixed point or course; "stock prices are drifting higher" drift - be subject to fluctuation; "The stock market drifted upward" vary - be subject to change in accordance with a variable; "Prices vary"; "His moods vary depending on the weather" | |
| 5. | drift - live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely; "My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school" drift - move in an unhurried fashion; "The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests" | |
| 6. | drift - move in an unhurried fashion; "The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests" circulate - move around freely; "She circulates among royalty" | |
| 7. | drift - cause to be carried by a current; "drift the boats downstream" float - set afloat; "He floated the logs down the river"; "The boy floated his toy boat on the pond" | |
| 8. | drift - drive slowly and far afield for grazing; "drift the cattle herds westwards" | |
| 9. | drift - be subject to fluctuation; "The stock market drifted upward" change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" drift - vary or move from a fixed point or course; "stock prices are drifting higher" | |
| 10. | drift - be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current; "snow drifting several feet high"; "sand drifting like snow" amass, conglomerate, cumulate, pile up, accumulate, gather - collect or gather; "Journals are accumulating in my office"; "The work keeps piling up" |
drift
verb 1. float, go (aimlessly), bob, coast, slip, sail, slide, glide, meander, waft, be carried along, move gently
verb 2. wander, stroll, stray, roam, meander, rove, range, straggle, traipse (informal) stravaig Scot., Northern English (dialect) peregrinate
Translations
drift [drɪft] n [of current etc] → velocidad f [of sand] → montón m [of snow] → ventisquero (= meaning); significado
vi [boat] → ir a la deriva; [sand, snow] → amontonarse;
to catch sb's drift → cogerle el hilo a algn;
drift [drɪft] n [of current etc] → force f; direction f [of sand etc]; amoncellement m [of snow]; rafale f; coulée f: (on ground) → congère f (= general meaning); sens général
to drift apart [friends, lovers] → s'éloigner l'un de l'autre;
drift [drɪft] n → Strömung f;
(of snow) → Schneewehe f;
(of questions) → Richtung f
vi → treiben;
(sand) → wehen;
to drift apart → sich auseinanderleben;
I get or catch your drift → ich verstehe, worauf Sie hinauswollen
drift [drɪft] n [of current etc] → direzione f; forza; [of sand, snow] → cumulo (= general meaning); senso
vi [boat] → essere trasportato/a dalla corrente; [sand, snow] → ammucchiarsi;
to drift apart [friends] → perdersi di vista; [lovers] → allontanarsi l'uno dall'altro
n drift [drift]
1 a heap of something driven together, especially snow His car stuck in a snowdrift. opeenhoping, massa رُكام، إنْجِراف преспа závěj drive; snedrive das Treiben παρασυρόμενη μάζα montón hang, hunnik توده؛ پشته kinos amoncellement, congère הִיסַחֲפוּת बहाव nanos, hrpa förgeteg; hófúvás tumpukan skafl mucchio, cumulo 吹きだまり 더미 sąnaša, pusnis (sniega) kupena; (lapu) kaudze tompokkan opeenhoping haug, snødrive zaspa monte morman, grămadă куча; сугроб závej kup smet driva กอง yığın, birikinti 吹積物 замет, кучугура برف یا ریت کا جمع کردہ ڈھیر đống 吹积物
2 the direction in which something is going; the general meaning I couldn't hear you clearly, but I did catch the drift of what you said. koers, neiging إتِّجاه، مَعْنى направление smysl mening die Richtung τροπή, νόημα sentido mõttekäik مفهوم سخن suunta, yleiskäsitys sens (général) כַּווַנָה बहाव की दिशा smjeranje, nakana irány(zat) arti umum hugsanagangur, merking senso 流れの方向 대강의 뜻, 취지 esmė, kryptis (notikumu) ievirze; (domu) gaita makna kasar strekking mening, tendens, tankegang sens, tok teor idee (generală) смысл zmysel smer; pomen smisao tendens, riktning, tankegång, innebörd เส้นทาง; ความหมาย anlam, maksat 大意，要旨 напрям, спрямованість بات کا مقصد nội dung 大意，要旨
v
1 to (cause to) float or be blown along Sand drifted across the road; The boat drifted down the river. dryf يَنْجَرِف، يَنْساق . нося (се) být navátý, být unášen drive treiben παρασέρνω, παρασέρνομαι dejarse llevar, moverse empujado ajama, ajuma به حرکت درآمدن ajaa, ajelehtia dériver, être emporté לְהִיסָחֵף बह जाना biti nošen strujom úszik, lebeg hanyut reka; fjúka trasportare, lasciarsi trasportare 漂流する 떠밀려가다, 표류하다 plaukti/nešti pasroviui sanest; sadzīt (smiltis u.tml.); peldēt (pa straumi) hanyut meedrijven, bedekken drive, fyke nawiać, dryfować ser levado a fi purtat de vânt/de curent, a aluneca относить течением; наметать ветром naviať; unášať biti gnan; nositi biti nošen driva ล่องลอย yığılmak, birikmek, sürüklenmek 漂流 наносити بہنا یا بہا لے جانا trôi dạt 漂流
2 (of people) to wander or live aimlessly She drifted from job to job. swerf يَسيرُ على غَيْر هُدى، يَتَنَقَّلُ оставям се на съдбата těkat, přecházet flakke sich treiben lassen περιπλανιέμαι vagar, sin rumbo ir, ir a la deriva rändurielu elama سرگردان بودن ajautua flâner, à la dérive aller לְשוֹטֵט, לִנדוֹד मटरगश्ती करना lutati, živjeti bez cilja sodródik berpindah-pindah láta reka á reiðanum, slæpast spostarsi 放浪する 방황하다 plaukti pasroviui, bastytis ļauties pašplūsmai berpindah-pindah zich doelloos voortbewegen gå og drive, slentre, slenge nie móc długo zagrzać gdzieś miejsca, krążyć vaguear a se lăsa în voia sorţii дрейфовать prechádzať tavati lutati driva vind för våg, ströva, vandra ระหกระเหิน sürüklenmek, gayesiz dolaşmak 遊蕩 пливти за течією بغیر مقصد بھٹکنا phó mặc cho số phận 游荡
n drifter
1 a fishing-boat that uses a net which floats near the surface of the water. dryfnetboot قارِب صَيْد дрифтер logr drivgarnskutter das Treibnetz-Fischerboot ανεμότρατα trainera triivpüügilaev قایق ماهیگیری ajokalastusalus drifter סִירָת מִכמוֹרֶת मछली पकड़ने वाली एक नौका ribarski brod sa mrežom potegačom húzóhálós halászcsónak perahu nelayan (rekneta)veiðibátur/-skip rete a deriva peschereccio con 流し網漁船 유자망(流刺網) 어선 drifteris drifters perahu nelayan drijfnetvisser drivgarnsfisker kuter z wleczką sieci barco pesqueiro barcă de pescuit дрифтер logger ribiška ladja ribarski čamac båt för drivgarnsfiske เรือตกปลา ağ çeken balıkçı gemisi 漂網漁船 дрифтер مچھلی کے رواں جال کے ساتھ شکار کرنے کی کشتی thuyền đánh cá 漂网渔船
2 a person who drifts. swerwer شَخْص مُنْجَرِف непостоянен човек tulák, ztroskotanec dagdriver ziellose Person άνθρωπος ανερμάτιστος, που παρασύρεται από 'δω κι από κει vagabundo, trotamundos vagabund آدم سرگردان maleksija personne qui se laisse aller נָוָוד घुमक्कड़ lutalica sodródó ember pengembara slæpingi, flækingur alla deriva persona che va 放浪者 떠돌이 bastūnas, valkata klaidonis pengembara zwerver dagdriver, landstryker włóczęga vagabundo hoinar летун; перекати-поле tulák, stroskotanec neodločnež skitnica kringdrivande person, vagabond คนระหกระเหิน avare, başıboş 流浪者 бродяга آوارہ گرد آدمی người lang bạt 流浪者
n driftwood
wood floating on or cast up on the shore by the sea We made a fire with driftwood. dryfhout خَشَب الشاطِئ плавей naplavené dříví drivtømmer das Treibholz επιπλέοντα ξύλα madera flotante ajupuit چوب آب آورده ajopuut bois flotté גִזְרֵי עֵץ נִסחָפִים बह कर आई लकड़ी naplavine drveta uszadékfa kayu hanyut rekaviður legname galleggiante 流木 유목(流木) išmesti į krantą rąstgaliai/medžiai/nuolaužos krastā izsviesti koki kayu hanyut drijfhout drivved, rekved drzewo wyrzucone na brzeg lub pływające w wodzie madeiro lemn plutitor плавник naplavené drevo plavni les nasukano drvo drivved ไม้ที่ลอยมาเกยฝั่ง suyun süreklediği odun parçaları 浮木 сплавний ліс آب آورد یا باد آورد لکڑی củi rều 浮木
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