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drift

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drift

  • /dɹɪft/

Rhymes with -ɪft

Where it comes from

From Middle English drift, dryft (“act of driving, drove, shower of rain or snow, impulse”), from Old English *drift (“drift”), from Proto-Germanic *driftiz (“drift”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- (“to drive, push”). Equivalent to drive + -t; cognate with North Frisian drift (“drift”), Saterland Frisian Drift (“current, flow, stream, drift”), Dutch drift (“drift, passion, urge”), German Drift (“drift”) and Trift (“drove, pasture”), Danish drift (“impulse, instinct”), Swedish drift (“impulse, instinct”), Icelandic drift (“drift, snow-drift”).

noun drifts

  1. countable, physical, uncountable Anything driven at random. Some log perhaps upon the waters swam, a useless drift.
  2. countable, physical, uncountable 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. a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, of plants, etc.
  3. countable, physical, uncountable The distance through which a current flows in a given time.
  4. collective, countable, physical, uncountable The animals being moved in a drive, as of cattle, goats, horses, pigs or sheep. cattle coming over the bridge (with their great drifts doing much damage to the high ways)

    Similar: drove

  5. collective, countable, physical, uncountable A group of birds moving together. A drift of geese rose over the bank.

    Similar: flock

  6. countable, physical, uncountable 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. 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.
  7. countable, physical A collection of logs floating down a river.
  8. countable, physical, uncountable Driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach.
  9. countable, obsolete, physical, uncountable A driving; a violent movement. The dragon drew him [self] away with drift of his wings.
  10. countable, physical, uncountable Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting. Our drift was south.
  11. countable, physical, uncountable That which is driven, forced, or urged along. 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.
  12. countable, uncountable The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse. A bad man, being under the drift of any passion, will follow the impulse of it till something interpose.
  13. countable, uncountable A place (a ford) along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit crossing to the opposite side.
  14. countable, uncountable 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. The Gods defenders of the innocent, Will neuer proſper your intended driftes, That thus oppreſſe poore friendles paſſengers.
  15. countable, uncountable The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.
  16. countable, uncountable 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.
  17. countable, uncountable A tool used to pack down the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework.
  18. countable, uncountable 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.
  19. countable, uncountable A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to obloid projectiles.
  20. uncountable Minor deviation of audio or video playback from its correct speed. Reference sync servo system — permits minimal time-base error, assuring minimum jitter and drift.
  21. uncountable The situation where a performer gradually and unintentionally moves from their proper location within the scene. There is another form of drift when playing in a scene with other actors.
  22. countable, uncountable A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery.
  23. countable, uncountable An adit or tunnel driven forward for purposes of exploration or exploitation; generally eventually to a dead end.
  24. countable, uncountable A sloping winze or road to the surface, for purposes of haulage.
  25. countable, uncountable In a coal mine, a heading driven for exploration or ventilation.
  26. countable, uncountable Of a boring or a driven tunnel: deviation from the intended course.
  27. countable, uncountable A heading driven through a seam of coal.
  28. countable, uncountable The angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting.
  29. countable, uncountable The distance a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes.
  30. countable, uncountable 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.
  31. countable, uncountable The distance between the two blocks of a tackle.
  32. countable, uncountable 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.
  33. countable, uncountable A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler.

    Similar: swerve

  34. countable, uncountable Slow, cumulative change. genetic drift
  35. countable, uncountable In the New Forest National Park, UK, the bi-annual round-up of wild ponies in order to sell them.

verb drifts · drifting · drifted

  1. intransitive To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc. The boat drifted away from the shore.
  2. intransitive To move haphazardly without any destination. He drifted from town to town, never settling down.
  3. intransitive To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel. This car tends to drift left at high speeds.
  4. transitive To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body. 1865-1866, John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua I was drifted back first to the ante - Nicene history , and then to the Church of Alexandria
  5. transitive To drive into heaps. A current of wind drifts snow or sand
  6. intransitive To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps. Snow or sand drifts.
  7. 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 To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift.
  9. To oversteer a vehicle, causing loss of traction, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. See Drifting (motorsport).

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: rove, waft, freewheel, range, ramble, cast, blow, float, wander, roam, vagabond, stray, impulsion, impetus, gallery, trend

Translations

Every language

noun mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc.

Italianocumolo, ammasso

noun course or direction along which anything is driven; setting

Italianoderiva, direzione, verso

noun that which is driven, forced, or urged along

Italianodetrito, materiale alluvionale, morena

noun act or motion of drifting

Españolderiva, derrape
日本語漂流 hyōryū
中文漂流 piāoliú
Portuguêsderiva, derrapagem
Françaisdérive
DeutschDrift
Italianoderiva
Русскийтече́ние tečénije, дрейф drejf

noun the tendency of an act, argument, course of conduct, or the like; object aimed at or intended; intention

Italianotendenza, indirizzo, orientamento, predisposizione
Русскийтенде́нция tɛndɛ́ncija

noun slightly tapered tool of steel for enlarging or shaping a hole in metal

Italianopunzone, torsello

verb to move slowly, pushed by currents of water, air, etc

Españolderivar, ir a la deriva, vagar, devalar, davalar, baquear
日本語漂流する hyōryū suru
中文漂流 piāoliú
Portuguêsderivar
Françaisdériver
Deutschdriften, treiben
Русскийдрейфова́ть drejfovátʹ

verb to move haphazardly without any destination

Españolerrar, ir a la deriva
Portuguêsderivar
Françaiserrer
Deutschirren, ziellos ziehen, ziellos wandern
Русскийсноси́ться snosítʹsja, носи́ться nosítʹsja

verb to deviate gently from the intended direction of travel

Portuguêsderivar
Françaisdévier
Deutschabdriften nach, ziehen nach
Русскийотклоня́ться otklonjátʹsja, отклони́ться otklonítʹsja, сходи́ть sxodítʹ, сойти́ sojtí, смеща́ться smeščátʹsja, смести́ться smestítʹsja
עבריתנסחף niskháf

verb to drive or carry, as currents do a floating body

Deutschtreiben

verb to drive into heaps

Deutschzu einen Haufen zusammenwehen, sich zu einer Verwehung anhäufen

verb to accumulate in heaps by the force of wind

Deutschzu Haufen zusammengeweht werden, Verwehungen bilden

verb to oversteer a vehicle, causing loss of traction

Españolderrapar, roncear, roncearse, colearse
日本語ドリフト dorifuto
Portuguêsderrapar
Deutschdriften
Русскийдрифтовать driftovatʹ, топить topitʹ, валить боком valitʹ bokom

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Cite this
MLA

"drift." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/drift. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

drift. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/drift

Chicago

"drift." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/drift.

BibTeX
@misc{drift_2026,
  title = {drift},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/drift},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}