drift
Use Drift in a sentence
noun
2.
Navigation. (of a ship) the component of the movement that is due to the force of wind and currents.
3.
Oceanography. a broad, shallow ocean current that advances at the rate of 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) a day.
4.
Nautical.
a.
the flow or the speed in knots of an ocean current.
b.
the distance between the end of a rope and the part in use.
c.
the distance between two blocks in a tackle.
d.
the difference in diameter between two parts, one of which fits within the other, as a mast and its mast hoops, or a treenail and its hole.
5.
Aeronautics. the deviation of an aircraft from a set course due to cross winds.
6.
the course along which something moves; tendency; aim: The drift of political events after the war was toward chaos.
7.
a meaning; intent; purport: the drift of a statement.
8.
something driven, as animals, rain, etc.
9.
a heap of any matter driven together.
10.
a snowdrift.
11.
Geology, glacial drift.
12.
the state or process of being driven.
13.
overbearing power or influence.
14.
Military. a tool used in charging an ordnance piece.
15.
Electronics.
a.
a gradual change in some operating characteristic of a circuit, tube, or other electronic device, either during a brief period as an effect of warming up or during a long period as an effect of continued use.
b.
the movement of charge carriers in a semiconductor due to the influence of an applied voltage.
16.
Linguistics. gradual change in the structure of a language.
17.
18.
Civil Engineering. a secondary tunnel between two main tunnels or shafts.
19.
Mining. an approximately horizontal passageway in underground mining.
20.
Physics. the movement of charged particles under the influence of an electric field.
21.
Aerospace. the gradual deviation of a rocket or guided missile from its intended trajectory.
22.
Mechanics. displacement of the gimbals of a gyroscope due to friction on bearings, unbalance of the gyroscope's mass or other imperfections.
23.
the thrust of an arched structure.
24.
Dentistry. a shift of the teeth from their normal position in the dental arch.
25.
Western U.S. a flock of animals or birds.
verb (used without object)
26.
to be carried along by currents of water or air, or by the force of circumstances.
27.
to wander aimlessly: He drifts from town to town.
28.
to be driven into heaps, as by the wind: drifting sand.
29.
to deviate or vary from a set course or adjustment.
00:10
Drift
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is kibitz. Does it mean:
| chat, to converse |
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
verb (used with object)
Verb phrases 30.
to carry along: The current drifted the boat to sea.
31.
to drive into heaps: The wind drifted the snow.
32.
Machinery.
a.
to enlarge (a punched or drilled hole) with a drift.
b.
to align or straighten (holes, especially rivet holes) with a drift.
33.
drift off, to fall asleep gradually.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English drift, noun derivative of Old English drīfan to drive; cognate with Dutch drift herd, flock, German Trift herd, pasturage, road to pasture
1250–1300; Middle English drift, noun derivative of Old English drīfan to drive; cognate with Dutch drift herd, flock, German Trift herd, pasturage, road to pasture
Related forms
drift·ing·ly, adverb
drift·less, adjective
drift·less·ness, noun
un·drift·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To drift
Collins
World English Dictionary
drift (drɪft) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (also tr) to be carried along by or as if by currents of air or water or (of a current) to carry (a vessel, etc) along |
| 2. | to move aimlessly from place to place or from one activity to another |
| 3. | to wander or move gradually away from a fixed course or point; stray |
| 4. | (also tr) (of snow, sand, etc) to accumulate in heaps or banks or to drive (snow, sand, etc) into heaps or banks |
| —n | |
| 5. | something piled up by the wind or current, such as a snowdrift |
| 6. | tendency, trend, meaning, or purport: the drift of the argument |
| 7. | a state of indecision or inaction |
| 8. | the extent to which a vessel, aircraft, projectile, etc is driven off its course by adverse winds, tide, or current |
| 9. | a general tendency of surface ocean water to flow in the direction of the prevailing winds: North Atlantic Drift |
| 10. | a driving movement, force, or influence; impulse |
| 11. | a controlled four-wheel skid, used by racing drivers to take bends at high speed |
| 12. | a loose unstratified deposit of sand, gravel, etc, esp one transported and deposited by a glacier or ice sheet |
| 13. | a horizontal passage in a mine that follows the mineral vein |
| 14. | something, esp a group of animals, driven along by human or natural agencies: a drift of cattle |
| 15. | Also called: driftpin a tapering steel tool driven into holes to enlarge or align them before bolting or riveting |
| 16. | an uncontrolled slow change in some operating characteristic of a piece of equipment, esp an electronic circuit or component |
| 17. | linguistics gradual change in a language, esp in so far as this is influenced by the internal structure of the language rather than by contact with other languages |
| 18. | (South African) a ford |
| 19. | engineering a copper or brass bar used as a punch |
| [C13: from Old Norse: snowdrift; related to Old High German trift pasturage] | |
| 'drifty | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
drift
c.1300, lit. "a being driven" (of snow, etc.); not recorded in O.E., borrowed from O.N. or M.Du. drift, from P.Gmc. *driftiz, related to *dribanan "to drive." The verb is first attested c.1600. Sense of "what one is getting at" is from 1520s. Related: Drifted; drifting.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
drift (drĭft)
n.
A gradual deviation from an original course, model, method, or intention.
movement of teeth from their normal position in the dental arch because of the loss of contiguous teeth.
See genetic drift.
A variation or random oscillation about a fixed setting, position, or mode of behavior.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
The text is here hopelessly illegible, and only the general drift of the meaning can be rescued.
The fire filled the drift with thick smoke and was not subdued for several hours, although the mine was not evacuated.
In theory of course drift could do this, but in theory the molecules of gas in a room could all congeal to one corner.
Unemployment peaked well below the levels endured in past recessions and had begun to drift down.
Idioms & Phrases
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