Definition of "drift"

drift

/dɹɪft/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural drifts
1. (physical) Movement; that which moves or is moved.
  1. Anything driven at random.
    Quotations
    Some log perhaps upon the waters swam, a useless drift.
    1668, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, M. DC. LXVI. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], (please specify the stanza number)
  2. A mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc., especially by wind or water.
    Quotations
    Drifts of rising dust involve the sky.
    1725, Homer, “Book VIII”, in [William Broome], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume II, London: […] Bernard Lintot
    We […] got the brig a good bed in the rushing drift [of ice].
    1855, Elisha Kent Kane, Arctic explorations: The second Grinnell expedition in search of Sir John Franklin
    Many of these ground-layer plants were placed in naturalistic drifts to make it appear as if they were sowing themselves.
    2012, David L. Culp, The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage, Timber Press, page 168
    "During the winter, we get really bad snow conditions. We can go to eight inches of snow above the railhead, then the trains are stopped. It's usually more like four inches, but you get big drifts up towards Rannoch.
    2023 November 29, Paul Clifton, “West is best in the Highlands”, in RAIL, number 997, page 39
  3. The distance through which a current flows in a given time.
  4. A drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds.
    Quotations
    cattle coming over the bridge (with their great drifts doing much damage to the high ways)
    1648, Thomas Fuller, The History of the University of Cambridge since the Conquest
  5. 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 retreat of continental glaciers, such as that which buries former river valleys and creates young river valleys.
    Quotations
    It is there seen that at a distance from the valleys of streams, the old glacial drift usually comes to the surface, and often rises into considerable eminences.
    1867, E. Andrews, "Observations on the Glacial Drift beneath the bed of Lake Michigan," American Journal of Science and Arts, vol. 43, nos. 127-129, page 75
  6. Driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach.
  7. (obsolete) A driving; a violent movement.
    Quotations
    The dragon drew him [self] away with drift of his wings.
    1332, author unknown, King Alisaunder
  8. Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting.
    Quotations
    Our drift was south.
    1589, Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […]
  9. That which is driven, forced, or urged along.
    Quotations
    The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. […] Drifts of yellow vapour, fiery, parching, stinging, filled the air.
    1892, James Yoxall, chapter 5, in The Lonely Pyramid
2. The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse.
  Quotations
  A bad man, being under the drift of any passion, will follow the impulse of it till something interpose.
  1678, Robert South, Prevention of Sin an unvaluable Mercy, sermon preached at Christ-Church, Oxon on November 10, 1678
3. A place (a ford) along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit crossing to the opposite side.
4. 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.
  Quotations
  The Gods defenders of the innocent,Will neuer proſper your intended driftes,That thus oppreſſe poore friendles paſſengers.
  c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, (please specify the page)
  He has made the drift of the whole poem a compliment on his country in general.
  c. early 1700s, Joseph Addison, A Discourse on Ancient and Modern Learning
  Now thou knowest my drift.
  1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […]
  Besides, you lack the brains to catch my drift. / If I explained you wouldn't understand.
  1951, Geoffrey Chaucer, translated by Nevill Coghill, The Canterbury Tales: Translated into Modern English (Penguin Classics), Penguin Books, published 1977, page 216
5. (architecture) The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.
6. (handiwork) A tool.
  1. 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.
  2. A tool used to pack down the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework.
  3. A tool used to insert or extract a removable pin made of metal or hardwood, for the purpose of aligning and/or securing two pieces of material together.
7. A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to obloid projectiles.
8. (uncountable) Minor deviation of audio or video playback from its correct speed.
  Quotations
  Reference sync servo system — permits minimal time-base error, assuring minimum jitter and drift.
  1975, Broadcast Management/engineering, volume 11
9. (uncountable, film) The situation where a performer gradually and unintentionally moves from their proper location within the scene.
  Quotations
  There is another form of drift when playing in a scene with other actors.
  1970, Michael Pate, The Film Actor: Acting for Motion Pictures and Television, page 64
10. (mining)
  1. (mining) A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery.
  2. (mining) An adit or tunnel driven forward for purposes of exploration or exploitation; generally eventually to a dead end.
  3. (mining) A sloping winze or road to the surface, for purposes of haulage.
  4. (mining) In a coal mine, a heading driven for exploration or ventilation.
  5. (mining) Of a boring or a driven tunnel: deviation from the intended course.
  6. (mining) A heading driven through a seam of coal.
11. (nautical) Movement.
  1. The angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting.
  2. The distance a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes.
  3. 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.
  4. The distance between the two blocks of a tackle.
  5. 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.
12. (cricket) A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler.
13. Slow, cumulative change.
14. In New Forest National Park, UK, the bi-annual round-up of wild ponies in order to be sold.
verb
third-person singular simple present drifts, present participle drifting, simple past and past participle drifted
1. (intransitive) To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc.
  Quotations
  One day I was out in the barn and he drifted in. I was currying the horse and he set down on the wheelbarrow and begun to ask questions.
  1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 11, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
2. (intransitive) To move haphazardly without any destination.
3. (intransitive) To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel.
  Quotations
  Midway through the half, Argentine Tevez did begin to drift inside in order to exert his influence but by this stage Mick McCarthy's side had gone 1-0 up and looked comfortable.
  2011 January 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Man City 4-3 Wolves”, in BBC
4. (transitive) To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body.
  Quotations
  I was drifted back first to the ante - Nicene history , and then to the Church of Alexandria
  1865-1866, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua
5. (transitive) To drive into heaps.
6. (intransitive) To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps.
7. (mining, US) 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.
8. (transitive, engineering) To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift.
9. (automotive) To oversteer a vehicle, causing loss of traction, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. See Drifting (motorsport).