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drift
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- pronunciation:
- drIft
- parts of speech:
- intransitive verb, transitive verb, noun
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb, noun), Word Explorer
part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
inflections: |
drifts, drifting, drifted |
definition 1: |
to be carried along by an outside force, such as wind or water.
Unanchored, the boat drifted out to sea.
- similar words:
- blow, float, ride, trail, waft, wash
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definition 2: |
to wander without purpose or without particular destination.
Unable to find work, he drifted from town to town.- synonyms:
- ramble, roam, rove, wander
- similar words:
- gad, maunder, meander, mope, peregrinate, stray
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definition 3: |
to be moved into piles.
The snow drifted all along the edge of the house.- synonyms:
- bank
- similar words:
- heap up, pile up
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definition 4: |
to vary or stray.
They began to drift from the topic.- synonyms:
- vary
- similar words:
- deviate, digress, ramble, stray
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related words: |
bank, bat around, coast, err, flow, hang, heap, hover, idle, lapse, lift, move, pass, sail, tend, wander, warp |
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part of speech: |
transitive verb |
definition: |
to cause to drift; drive into piles.
- synonyms:
- pile
- similar words:
- heap
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related words: |
bank, blow |
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part of speech: |
noun |
definition 1: |
the act or process of drifting.
We watched the drift of the leaves on the water.- synonyms:
- driftage
- similar words:
- floating
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definition 2: |
the tendency to drift.
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definition 3: |
a mass or bank made up of drifting matter such as snow.
Snow drifts lined the road.
- synonyms:
- bank, mound
- similar words:
- accumulation, dune, heap, mass, pile
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definition 4: |
something carried along by an outside force such as wind or water current.
- synonyms:
- driftage
- similar words:
- driftwood, floater, flotsam, jetsam
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definition 5: |
trend or direction.
a drift toward spending- synonyms:
- current, trend
- similar words:
- direction, movement, tendency, tenor
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definition 6: |
intention; meaning.
the drift of the essay- synonyms:
- intent, intention, meaning
- similar words:
- point, purport, sense, significance, signification, substance, tenor
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related words: |
bank, effect, hover, leeway, meaning, motion, thrust |
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derivation: |
driftingly (adv.) |
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