Definitions for driftdrɪft

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

driftdrɪft(n.)

a driving movement or action.
(of a ship) the component of the movement that is due to the force of wind and currents.
Category: Nautical, Navy
a broad, shallow ocean current that advances at the rate of 10 to 15 mi. (16 to 24 km) a day.
Category: Oceanography
the flow or the speed in knots of an ocean current.
Category: Nautical, Navy
a gradual deviation from a natural or desirable position or course.
Category: Common Vocabulary, Dentistry
the course along which something moves; tendency; aim:
a drift toward the political right.
a meaning; intent; purport:
the drift of a statement.
the state or process of being driven.
something driven, as animals or rain.
a heap of any matter driven together.
a snowdrift.
loose material, as gravel, sand, etc., transported and deposited by glacial ice or meltwater.
Category: Geology
Category: Geology
Ref: continental drift.
a gradual change in some operating characteristic of a circuit, tube, or other electronic device, as an effect of warming up or of continued use.
Category: Electronics, Electricity and Magnetism
gradual change in the structure of a language.
Category: Language/Linguistics
a round tapering piece of steel for enlarging holes in metal or for bringing holes in line to receive rivets or bolts. a flat tapered piece of steel used to drive tools with tapered shanks, as drill bits, from their holders.
Category: Machinery
an approximately horizontal passageway in underground mining.
Category: Mining
the gradual deviation of a rocket or guided missile from its intended trajectory.
Category: Aerospace
(v.i.)to be carried along, as by currents of water or by the force of circumstances.
to wander aimlessly:
to drift from town to town.
to be driven into heaps, as by the wind.
to deviate or vary, as from a proper position or set course.
(v.t.)to carry along:
The current drifted the boat to sea.
to drive into heaps.

Idioms for drift:

drift off,to fall asleep gradually.
Category: Idiom

Origin of drift:

1250–1300; ME drift, n. der. of OE drīfan to drive

drift′y(adj.)drift•i•er, drift•i•est.

Princeton's WordNet

drift, impetus, impulsion(noun)
a force that moves something along
drift(noun)
the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane)
drift(noun)
a process of linguistic change over a period of time
drift(noun)
a large mass of material that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents
drift, trend, movement(noun)
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"
drift, purport(noun)
the pervading meaning or tenor
"caught the general drift of the conversation"
drift, heading, gallery(verb)
a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine
"they dug a drift parallel with the vein"
float, drift, be adrift, blow(verb)
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"
stray, err, drift(verb)
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"
roll, wander, swan, stray, tramp, roam, cast, ramble, rove, range, drift, vagabond(verb)
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"
drift(verb)
vary or move from a fixed point or course
"stock prices are drifting higher"
freewheel, drift(verb)
live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely
"My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school"
drift(verb)
move in an unhurried fashion
"The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests"
drift(verb)
cause to be carried by a current
"drift the boats downstream"
drift(verb)
drive slowly and far afield for grazing
"drift the cattle herds westwards"
drift(verb)
be subject to fluctuation
"The stock market drifted upward"
drift(verb)
be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current
"snow drifting several feet high"; "sand drifting like snow"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

drift(verb)ɪft
to float slowly, pushed by a current
a piece of wood drifting down the stream; A balloon drifted by.
driftɪft
to move without purpose
people drifting in and out of the room
driftɪft
to change slowly, often becoming worse
The marriage drifted toward failure.
driftɪft
to be pushed by the wind into piles
drifting snow
drift(noun)ɪft
a slow change, often toward sth bad
the drift toward war; the Democrats' drift toward the center
driftɪft
a slow movement
the drift of the continents
driftɪft
a pile of snow, created by the wind
six foot drifts
driftɪft
to understand the basic idea of what sb is saying
I didn't catch the drift of her argument.

Wiktionary

drift(Noun)
The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse.
drift(Noun)
A place, also known as a ford, along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit oxen or sheep to be driven to the opposite side.
drift(Noun)
Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting.
drift(Noun)
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.
drift(Noun)
That which is driven, forced, or urged along
drift(Noun)
Anything driven at random.
drift(Noun)
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; as, a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, and the like.
drift(Noun)
A drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds.
drift(Noun)
The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.
drift(Verb)
To move slowly, pushed by currents of water, air, etc.
drift(Verb)
To move haphazardly without any destination.
He drifted from town to town, never settling down.
drift(Verb)
To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel.
This car tends to drift left at high speeds
drift(Noun)
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 agency of ice.
drift(Noun)
a ford in a river.
drift(Noun)
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.
drift(Noun)
A tool used in driving down compactly the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework.
drift(Noun)
A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to oblong projectiles.
drift(Noun)
A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel.
drift(Noun)
The distance through which a current flows in a given time.
drift(Noun)
The angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting.
drift(Noun)
The distance to which a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes.
drift(Noun)
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.
drift(Noun)
The distance between the two blocks of a tackle.
drift(Noun)
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.
drift(Noun)
A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler.
drift(Noun)
Driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach.
drift(Noun)
The material left behind by the retreat of continental glaciers, which buries former river valleys and creates young river valleys.

Webster Dictionary

Drift(noun)
a driving; a violent movement
Drift(noun)
the act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse
Drift(noun)
course or direction along which anything is driven; setting
Drift(noun)
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
Drift(noun)
that which is driven, forced, or urged along
Drift(noun)
anything driven at random
Drift(noun)
a mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc., esp. by wind or water; as, a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, and the like
Drift(noun)
a drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds
Drift(noun)
the horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments
Drift(noun)
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 agency of ice
Drift(noun)
in South Africa, a ford in a river
Drift(noun)
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
Drift(noun)
a tool used in driving down compactly the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework
Drift(noun)
a deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to oblong projectiles
Drift(noun)
a passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel
Drift(noun)
the distance through which a current flows in a given time
Drift(noun)
the angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting
Drift(noun)
the distance to which a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes
Drift(noun)
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
Drift(noun)
the distance between the two blocks of a tackle
Drift(noun)
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
Drift(verb)
to float or be driven along by, or as by, a current of water or air; as, the ship drifted astern; a raft drifted ashore; the balloon drifts slowly east
Drift(verb)
to accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps; as, snow or sand drifts
Drift(verb)
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
Drift(verb)
to drive or carry, as currents do a floating body
Drift(verb)
to drive into heaps; as, a current of wind drifts snow or sand
Drift(verb)
to enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift
Drift(adj)
that causes drifting or that is drifted; movable by wind or currents; as, drift currents; drift ice; drift mud

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

drift
In ballistics, a shift in projectile direction due to gyroscopic action which results from gravitational and atmospherically induced torques on the spinning projectile.