DRIFT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does drift mean? 

• DRIFT (noun)
  The noun DRIFT has 7 senses:

1. a force that moves something along

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

3. a process of linguistic change over a period of time

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

5. a general tendency to change (as of opinion)

6. the pervading meaning or tenor

7. a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine

  Familiarity information: DRIFT used as a noun is common.

• DRIFT (verb)
  The verb DRIFT has 10 senses:

1. be in motion due to some air or water current

2. wander from a direct course or at random

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

4. vary or move from a fixed point or course

5. live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely

6. move in an unhurried fashion

7. cause to be carried by a current

8. drive slowly and far afield for grazing

9. be subject to fluctuation

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

  Familiarity information: DRIFT used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DRIFT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A force that moves something along

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

drift; impetus; impulsion

Hypernyms ("drift" is a kind of...):

force ((physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity)

Derivation:

drift (cause to be carried by a current)

drift (be in motion due to some air or water current)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("drift" is a kind of...):

action; activity; natural action; natural process (a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings))

Domain category:

ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)

aeroplane; airplane; plane (an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "drift"):

leeway ((of a ship or plane) sideways drift)

Derivation:

drift (wander from a direct course or at random)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A process of linguistic change over a period of time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("drift" is a kind of...):

linguistic process (a process involved in human language)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "drift"):

melioration (the linguistic process in which over a period of time a word grows more positive in connotation or more elevated in meaning)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("drift" is a kind of...):

mass (a body of matter without definite shape)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "drift"):

drumlin (a mound of glacial drift)

snowdrift (a mass of snow heaped up by the wind)

Derivation:

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

Sense 5

Meaning:

A general tendency to change (as of opinion)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

drift; movement; trend

Context example:

a broad movement of the electorate to the right

Hypernyms ("drift" is a kind of...):

disposition; inclination; tendency (an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "drift"):

evolutionary trend (a general direction of evolutionary change)

gravitation (a figurative movement toward some attraction)

Derivation:

drift (be subject to fluctuation)

drive (move into a desired direction of discourse)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The pervading meaning or tenor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

drift; purport

Context example:

caught the general drift of the conversation

Hypernyms ("drift" is a kind of...):

strain; tenor (the general meaning or substance of an utterance)

Derivation:

drive (move into a desired direction of discourse)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

drift; gallery; heading

Context example:

they dug a drift parallel with the vein

Hypernyms ("drift" is a kind of...):

passageway (a passage between rooms or between buildings)

Domain category:

excavation; mining (the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth)

Derivation:

drive (excavate horizontally)

• DRIFT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they drift    ... he / she / it drifts   
Past simple: drifted   
Past participle: drifted   
-ing form: drifting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be in motion due to some air or water current

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

be adrift; blow; drift; float

Context example:

the shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

drift (cause to be carried by a current)

float (move lightly, as if suspended)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "drift"):

waft (be driven or carried along, as by the air)

tide (be carried with the tide)

stream (to extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

drift (a force that moves something along)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Wander from a direct course or at random

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

drift; err; stray

Context example:

don't drift from the set course

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

cast; drift; ramble; range; roam; roll; rove; stray; swan; tramp; vagabond; wander (move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

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

driftage (the deviation (by a vessel or aircraft) from its intended course due to drifting)

drifting (aimless wandering from place to place)

Sense 3

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

cast; drift; ramble; range; roam; roll; rove; stray; swan; tramp; vagabond; wander

Context example:

They rolled from town to town

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

drift; err; stray (wander from a direct course or at random)

wander (go via an indirect route or at no set pace)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "drift"):

maunder (wander aimlessly)

gad; gallivant; jazz around (wander aimlessly in search of pleasure)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

drifter (a wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support)

drifting (aimless wandering from place to place)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Vary or move from a fixed point or course

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

stock prices are drifting higher

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

vary (be subject to change in accordance with a variable)

Verb group:

drift (be subject to fluctuation)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 5

Meaning:

Live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

drift; freewheel

Context example:

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

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

exist; live; subsist; survive (support oneself)

Verb group:

drift (move in an unhurried fashion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 6

Meaning:

Move in an unhurried fashion

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

circulate (move around freely from person to person or from place to place)

Verb group:

drift; freewheel (live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 7

Meaning:

Cause to be carried by a current

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

drift the boats downstream

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

float (set afloat)

Verb group:

be adrift; blow; drift; float (be in motion due to some air or water current)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

drift (a force that moves something along)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Drive slowly and far afield for grazing

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

drift the cattle herds westwards

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

crop; graze; pasture (let feed in a field or pasture or meadow)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 9

Meaning:

Be subject to fluctuation

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The stock market drifted upward

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Verb group:

drift (vary or move from a fixed point or course)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

drift (a general tendency to change (as of opinion))

Sense 10

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

sand drifting like snow

Hypernyms (to "drift" is one way to...):

accumulate; amass; conglomerate; cumulate; gather; pile up (collect or gather)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

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

 Context examples 

We seem to be drifting into unknown places and unknown ways; into a whole world of dark and dreadful things.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

That was the meaning of it all; he had been drifting that way all the time, and now Swinburne showed him that it was the happy way out.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Then they gave up, letting the boat drift till a second boat, sent from the shore by Wolf Larsen, took them in tow and brought them aboard.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Differences in the human nose may have accumulated among populations through time as a result of a random process called genetic drift.

(Nose Form Was Shaped by Climate, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

On the cooler, dark side of the planet, the atoms can recombine into molecules and condense into clouds, all before drifting back into the dayside to be splintered again.

(Water Is Destroyed, Then Reborn in Ultrahot Jupiters, NASA/JPL)

Thornton came to, belly downward and being violently propelled back and forth across a drift log by Hans and Pete.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

In the densest regions, protostars ignite and begin to drift about randomly.

(ALMA Captures Dramatic Stellar Fireworks, ESO)

The study used observations from the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project, or SOCCOM, which releases instruments that drift with the currents to monitor Antarctic conditions.

(Data from robotic drifters explain mysterious holes in Antarctic sea ice, National Science Foundation)

The sled sank deep into the drifted snow and pulled hard.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Once or twice we drifted into talk, and I can remember that more than once he expressed a keen interest in my methods of observation and inference.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)