Main Entry:

²drift

Function:

verb

Date:

circa 1600

intransitive verb

1 a: to become driven or carried along (as by a current of water, wind, or air) <a balloon drifting in the wind> b: to move or float smoothly and effortlessly2 a: to move along a line of least resistance b: to move in a random or casual way c: to become carried along subject to no guidance or control <the talk drifted from topic to topic>3 a: to accumulate in a mass or become piled up in heaps by wind or water <drifting snow> b: to become covered with a drift4: to vary or deviate from a set course or adjustmenttransitive verb1 a: to cause to be driven in a current bWest : to drive (livestock) slowly especially to allow grazing2 a: to pile in heaps b: to cover with drifts

— drift·ing·ly \ˈdrif-tiŋ-lē\ adverb