drift

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

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 *dhreibh- (“to drive, push”). Cognate with North Frisian drift (“drift”), Dutch drift (“drift, passion, urge”), German Drift (“drift”) and Trift (“drove, pasture”), Swedish drift (“impulse, instinct”), Icelandic drift (“drift, snow-drift”). Related to drive.

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

drift (plural drifts)

  1. The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse.
  2. A place (a ford) along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit crossing to the opposite side.
  3. Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting.
  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.
  5. That which is driven, forced, or urged along
  6. Anything driven at random.
  7. 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; as, a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, and the like.
  8. A drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds.
  9. The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.
  10. 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.
    • 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:
      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.
  11. 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.
  12. A tool used in driving down compactly the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework.
  13. A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to oblong projectiles.
  14. (mining) A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel.
  15. The distance through which a current flows in a given time.
  16. (nautical) The angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting.
  17. (nautical) The distance to which a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes.
  18. (nautical) 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.
  19. The distance between the two blocks of a tackle.
  20. 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.
  21. A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler.
  22. Driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach.

Derived terms [edit]

Terms derived from the noun drift

Translations [edit]

act or motion of drifting
shallow place in a river — see ford
course or direction along which anything is driven; setting
the tendency of an act, argument, course of conduct, or the like; object aimed at or intended; intention
that which is driven, forced, or urged along
anything driven at random
mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc.
drove or flock
horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments
collection of loose earth and rocks, or boulders, which have been distributed over large portions of the earth's surface
slightly tapered tool of steel for enlarging or shaping a hole in metal
tool used in driving down compactly the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework
deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to oblong projectiles
passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel
distance through which a current flows in a given time
angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting
distance to which a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes
place in a deep-waisted vessel where the sheer is raised and the rail is cut off
distance between the two blocks of a tackle
difference between the size of a bolt and the hole into which it is driven
sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler
driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb [edit]

drift (third-person singular simple present drifts, present participle drifting, simple past and past participle drifted)

  1. To move slowly, pushed by currents of water, air, etc.
    The boat drifted away from the shore.
    The balloon was drifting in the breeze.
  2. To move haphazardly without any destination.
    He drifted from town to town, never settling down.
  3. To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel.
    This car tends to drift left at high speeds
    • 2011 January 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Man City 4 - 3 Wolves”, BBC:
      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.

Derived terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

to move slowly, pushed by currents of water, air, etc
to move haphazardly without any destination
to deviate gently from the intended direction of travel

Dutch [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Middle Dutch drift, earlier presumably also *dricht, from Old Dutch *drift, from Proto-Germanic *driftiz.

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

drift f (plural driften)

  1. passion
  2. strong and sudden upwelling of anger: a fit
  3. violent tendency
  4. flock (of sheep or oxen)
  5. deviation of direction caused by wind: drift
  6. path along which cattle are driven

Related terms [edit]

Icelandic [edit]

Noun [edit]

drift f (genitive singular driftar, plural driftir)

  1. snowdrift

Declension [edit]

declension of drift
f-s2 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative drift driftin driftir driftirnar
accusative drift driftina driftir driftirnar
dative drift driftinni driftum driftunum
genitive driftar driftarinnar drifta driftanna

Synonyms [edit]

Swedish [edit]

Noun [edit]

drift c

  1. urge, instinct
  2. operation, management (singular only)

Declension [edit]

Declension of drift
singular plural
Common indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative drift driften drifter drifterna
genitive drifts driftens drifters drifternas
Retrieved from "http://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=drift&oldid=20591064"