drift

Definitions

1. 1noun

   A driving; a violent movement.

2. 2noun

   The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse.

3. 3noun

   Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting.

4. 4noun

   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.

5. 5noun

   That which is driven, forced, or urged along

6. 6noun

   Anything driven at random.

7. 7noun

   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.

8. 8noun

   A drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds.

9. 9noun

   The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.

10. 10noun

    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.

11. 11noun

    In South Africa, a ford in a river.

12. 12noun

    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.

13. 13noun

    A tool used in driving down compactly the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework.

14. 14noun

    A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to oblong projectiles.

15. 15noun

    A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel.

16. 16noun

    The distance through which a current flows in a given time.

17. 17noun

    The angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting.

18. 18noun

    The distance to which a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes.

19. 19noun

    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.

20. 20noun

    The distance between the two blocks of a tackle.

21. 21noun

    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.

22. 22intransitive 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.

23. 23intransitive verb

    To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps; as, snow or sand drifts.

24. 24intransitive 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.

25. 25transitive verb

    To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body.

26. 26transitive verb

    To drive into heaps; as, a current of wind drifts snow or sand.

27. 27transitive verb

    To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift.

28. 28adjective

    That causes drifting or that is drifted; movable by wind or currents; as, drift currents; drift ice; drift mud.

29. 29noun

    a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine

    "they dug a drift parallel with the vein"

    Synonyms

    galleryheading
30. 30noun

    the pervading meaning or tenor

    "caught the general drift of the conversation"

    Synonyms

    purport
31. 31noun

    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"

    Synonyms

    movementtrend
32. 32noun

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

33. 33noun

    a force that moves something along

    Synonyms

    impetusimpulsion
34. 34noun

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

35. 35noun

    a process of linguistic change over a period of time

36. 36verb

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

    "snow drifting several feet high"

    "sand drifting like snow"

37. 37verb

    be subject to fluctuation

    "The stock market drifted upward"

38. 38verb

    drive slowly and far afield for grazing

    "drift the cattle herds westwards"

39. 39verb

    cause to be carried by a current

    "drift the boats downstream"

40. 40verb

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

    "The gypsies roamed the woods"

    "roving vagabonds"

    Synonyms

    castramblerangeroamrollrovestrayswantrampvagabondwander
41. 41verb

    be in motion due to some air or water current

    "The leaves were blowing in the wind"

    "the boat drifted on the lake"

    Synonyms

    blowfloat
42. 42verb

    move in an unhurried fashion

    "The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests"

43. 43verb

    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"

    Synonyms

    errstray
44. 44verb

    live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely

    "My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school"

    Synonyms

    freewheel
45. 45verb

    vary or move from a fixed point or course

    "stock prices are drifting higher"