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1. Dictionary

   drift

   /drɪft/

   verb

   • 1. be carried slowly by a current of air or water: "the cabin cruiser started to drift downstream" Similar be carriedbe carried (away/along)be bornebe waftedfloatbobmove slowlygo with the currentcoastmeander
   • ▪ walk slowly, aimlessly, or casually: "people began to drift away"
   • ▪ move passively, aimlessly, or involuntarily into a certain situation or condition: "I've just drifted into things because they were offered to me and they seemed like fun"
   • ▪ (of a person or their attention) digress or stray to another subject: "I noticed my audience's attention drifting" Similar straydigressdepartdivergeveerswervedeviateget sidetrackedrare:divagate
   • 2. (especially of snow or leaves) be blown into heaps by the wind: "fallen leaves were starting to drift in the gutters" Similar pile upbank upheap upaccumulategatherform heaps/driftsamass

   noun

   • 1. a continuous slow movement from one place to another: "there was a drift to the towns" Similar movementshiftflowtransfertransferralrelocationgravitation
   • ▪ the deviation of a vessel, aircraft, or projectile from its intended or expected course as the result of currents or winds: "the pilot had not noticed any appreciable drift" Similar deviationdigressionveeringstraying
   • ▪ a steady movement or development from one thing towards another that is perceived as unwelcome: "the drift towards a more market-oriented system of higher education"
   • ▪ a state of inaction or indecision: "after so much drift, any expression of enthusiasm is welcome"
   • ▪ a controlled skid, used in taking bends at high speeds.
   • 2. the general intention or meaning of an argument or someone's remarks: "maybe I'm too close to the forest to see the trees, if you catch my drift" Similar gistessencecoremeaningsensethesissubstancesignificancesignificationthrustimportpurporttenorveinspiritimplicationintentiondirectioncoursetendencytrend
   • 3. a large mass of snow, leaves, or other material piled up or carried along by the wind: "four sheep were dug out of the drift" Similar pileheapbankmoundmassaccumulationduneridge
   • ▪ glacial and fluvioglacial deposits left by retreating ice sheets.
   • ▪ a large spread of flowering plants growing together: "a drift of daffodils"
   • 4. a horizontal or inclined passage following a mineral vein or coal seam: "the drift led to another smaller ore chamber"
   • 5. an act of driving cattle or sheep. historical British
   • ▪ an act of herding cattle within a forest to a particular place on an appointed day in order to determine ownership or to levy fines.
   • 6. a ford. South African

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘mass of snow, leaves, etc.’): originally from Old Norse drift ‘snowdrift, something driven’; in later use from Middle Dutch drift ‘course, current’, and (in drift (sense 6 of the noun)) South African Dutch drift ‘ford’; related to drive.

   Derivatives

   • 1. drifty adjective

   Scrabble Points: 9

   • D

     2

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • F

     4

   • T

     1

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   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishDRIFT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   DRIFT definition: 1. to move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction: 2. in…. Learn more.

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › driftDrift Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › drift

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   The meaning of DRIFT is the act of driving something along. How to use drift in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Drift.

4. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishdrift verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Definition of drift verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

5. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishdrift noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   noun. /drɪft/ slow movement. [singular, uncountable] a slow steady movement from one place to another; a slow change or development from one situation to another, especially to something bad. the drift of people away from rural areas into urban slums. attempts to halt the drift towards war. Extra Examples. Oxford Collocations Dictionary.

6. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishDRIFT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   A drift is a movement away from somewhere or something, or a movement towards somewhere or something different.

7. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishDRIFT | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

   • Cached

   noun. uk / drɪft / us. drift noun (MOVE) slow, gradual movement from one place to another: the drift of people into Western Europe. catch/get sb's drift. to understand the general meaning of what someone is saying. drift noun (PILE) a pile of snow or leaves that has been blown somewhere.

8. www.dictionary.com › browse › driftDRIFT Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › drift

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   the extent to which a vessel, aircraft, projectile, etc is driven off its course by adverse winds, tide, or current. a general tendency of surface ocean water to flow in the direction of the prevailing winds. North Atlantic Drift. a driving movement, force, or influence; impulse.