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   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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2. People also ask

   What does drift mean?

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

   DRIFT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/drift

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   What does it mean to drift somewhere?

   • To drift somewhere means to move there slowly or gradually. As rural factories shed labour, people drift towards the cities. [VERB preposition] If sounds drift somewhere, they can be heard but they are not very loud. Voices drifted to him across the car park. [VERB preposition/adverb]

   DRIFT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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   What does drifting mean in a sentence?

   • [VERB preposition/adverb] There is a general sense that the country and economy alike are drifting. [VERB] If you say that someone drifts around, you mean that they travel from place to place without a plan or settled way of life. You've been drifting from job to job without any real commitment. [VERB preposition/adverb]

   DRIFT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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   What is a drift of a well?

   • A drift is the degree to which a wellbore is not vertical. The drift is the inclination of the wellbore from the vertical at the point of reference. The extent to which the wellbore deviates from a truly vertical line is commonly called the drift of the well. A drift is the degree to which a wellbore is not vertical.

   DRIFT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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   What is a snow drift?

   • A drift is a mass of snow that has built up into a pile as a result of the movement of wind. ...a nine-foot snow drift. A drift of something is an amount of it that has been created by the movement of wind or water. There was a drift of smoke above the trees. The drift of an argument or speech is the general point that is being made in it.

   DRIFT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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   What is a drift adverb?

   • [VERB preposition/adverb] A drift is a movement away from somewhere or something, or a movement towards somewhere or something different. ...the drift towards the cities.

   DRIFT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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3. 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.

   • English (US)

     DRIFT meaning: 1. to move slowly, especially as a result of...

   • Drift Spanish Translation

     DRIFT translate: ir a la deriva, decaimiento [masculine],...

   • Drift in Traditional Chinese

     DRIFT translate: （尤指在外力作用下）飄，漂流，漂移, 含義, 大意，主旨, 活動,...

   • Znaczenie Drift, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary

     DRIFT definicja: 1. to move slowly, especially as a result...

   • Drift: French Translation

     DRIFT translate: dérive [feminine], dérive [feminine],...

   • Drift: Korean Translation

     DRIFT translate: 표류하다. Learn more in the Cambridge...

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

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   A drift is the degree to which a wellbore is not vertical. The drift is the inclination of the wellbore from the vertical at the point of reference. The extent to which the wellbore deviates from a truly vertical line is commonly called the drift of the well.

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6. 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.

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

   www.dictionary.com › browse › drift

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   noun. something piled up by the wind or current, such as a snowdrift. tendency, trend, meaning, or purport. the drift of the argument. a state of indecision or inaction. the extent to which a vessel, aircraft, projectile, etc is driven off its course by adverse winds, tide, or current.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › driftDRIFT | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › drift

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   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.

9. www.thefreedictionary.com › driftDrift - definition of drift by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › drift

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   To live or behave without a clear purpose or goal: drifted through his college years unable to decide on a career. 4. To have no continuing focus; stray: My attention drifted during the boring presentation. 5. To vary from or oscillate randomly about a fixed setting, position, or mode of operation. 6.

10. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definitiondrift verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

    www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition

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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.