¹drift

noun \ˈdrift\

: a slow and gradual movement or change from one place, condition, etc., to another

: a large pile of snow or sand that has been blown by the wind

: the general or basic meaning of something said or written

Full Definition of DRIFT

a : the act of driving something along

b : the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream

: something driven, propelled, or urged along or drawn together in a clump by or as if by a natural agency: as

a : wind-driven snow, rain, cloud, dust, or smoke usually at or near the ground surface

b (1) : a mass of matter (as sand) deposited together by or as if by wind or water (2) : a helter-skelter accumulation

c : drove, flock

d : something (as driftwood) washed ashore

e : rock debris deposited by natural agents; specifically : a deposit of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders transported by a glacier or by running water from a glacier

a : a general underlying design or tendency <perceiving the drift of the government's policies>

b : the underlying meaning, import, or purport of what is spoken or written <the drift of a conversation>

: something (as a tool) driven down upon or forced into a body

: the motion or action of drifting especially spatially and usually under external influence: as

a : the lateral motion of an aircraft due to air currents

b : an easy moderate more or less steady flow or sweep along a spatial course

c : a gradual shift in attitude, opinion, or position

d : an aimless course; especially : a foregoing of any attempt at direction or control

e : a deviation from a true reproduction, representation, or reading ; especially : a gradual change in the zero reading of an instrument or in any quantitative characteristic that is supposed to remain constant

a : a nearly horizontal mine passageway driven on or parallel to the course of a vein or rock stratum

b : a small crosscut in a mine connecting two larger tunnels

a : an assumed trend toward a general change in the structure of a language over a period of time

b : genetic drift

: a grouping of similar flowers planted in an elongated mass

— drifty \ˈdrif-tē\ adjective

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Origin of DRIFT

Middle English; akin to Old English drīfan to drive — more at drive

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DRIFT

Synonyms: bar, ²bank, mound

Synonym Discussion of DRIFT

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction. tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force <a general tendency toward inflation>. trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course <the long-term trend of the stock market is upward>. drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces <the drift of the population away from large cities> or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse <got the drift of her argument>. tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course <the tenor of the times>. current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course <an encounter that changed the current of my life>.