drift

Meanings

Noun

  • Movement; that which moves or is moved.
  • The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse.
  • A place (a ford) along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit crossing to the opposite side.
  • 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 horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.
  • A tool.
  • A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to obloid projectiles.
  • Minor deviation of audio or video playback from its correct speed.
  • The situation where a performer gradually and unintentionally moves from their proper location within the scene.
  • A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel.
  • Movement.
  • A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler.
  • Slow, cumulative change.

Verb

  • To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc.
  • To move haphazardly without any destination.
  • To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel.
  • To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body.
  • To drive into heaps.
  • To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps.
  • 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.
  • To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift.
  • To oversteer a vehicle, causing loss of traction, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. See Drifting (motorsport).

Origin

  • From Middle English drift, dryft, from Old English *drift ("drift"), from Proto-Germanic *driftiz ("drift"), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- ("to drive, push"). Equivalent to drive + -th; cognate with North Frisian drift ("drift"), Saterland Frisian Drift ("current, flow, stream, drift"), Dutch drift ("drift, passion, urge"), German Drift ("drift") and Trift, Swedish drift ("impulse, instinct"), Icelandic drift ("drift, snow-drift").

Modern English dictionary

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