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drift

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drift


  7  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Adit  \Ad"it\,  n.  [L.  aditus  fr  adire,  ?aitum,  to  go  to  ad  + 
  ire  to  go.] 
  1.  An  entrance  or  passage.  Specifically:  The  nearly 
  horizontal  opening  by  which  a  mine  is  entered,  or  by  which 
  water  and  ores  are  carried  away  --  called  also  {drift} 
  and  {tunnel}. 
 
  2.  Admission;  approach;  access  [R.] 
 
  Yourself  and  yours  shall  have  Free  adit.  --Tennyson. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Drift  \Drift\,  n. 
  1.  (Phys.  Geog.)  One  of  the  slower  movements  of  oceanic 
  circulation;  a  general  tendency  of  the  water,  subject  to 
  occasional  or  frequent  diversion  or  reversal  by  the  wind; 
  as  the  easterly  drift  of  the  North  Pacific. 
 
  2.  (A["e]ronautics)  The  horizontal  component  of  the  pressure 
  of  the  air  on  the  sustaining  surfaces  of  a  flying  machine. 
  The  lift  is  the  corresponding  vertical  component,  which 
  sustains  the  machine  in  the  air. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Drift  \Drift\,  v.  t. 
  1.  To  drive  or  carry,  as  currents  do  a  floating  body.  --J.  H. 
  Newman. 
 
  2.  To  drive  into  heaps;  as  a  current  of  wind  drifts  snow  or 
  sand. 
 
  3.  (Mach.)  To  enlarge  or  shape,  as  a  hole,  with  a  drift. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Drift  \Drift\,  a. 
  That  causes  drifting  or  that  is  drifted;  movable  by  wind  or 
  currents;  as  drift  currents;  drift  ice;  drift  mud.  --Kane. 
 
  {Drift  anchor}.  See  {Sea  anchor},  and  also  {Drag  sail},  under 
  {Drag},  n. 
 
  {Drift  epoch}  (Geol.),  the  glacial  epoch. 
 
  {Drift  net},  a  kind  of  fishing  net. 
 
  {Drift  sail}.  Same  as  {Drag  sail}.  See  under  {Drag},  n. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Drift  \Drift\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Drifted};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Drifting}.] 
  1.  To  float  or  be  driven  along  by  or  as  by  a  current  of 
  water  or  air;  as  the  ship  drifted  astern;  a  raft  drifted 
  ashore;  the  balloon  drifts  slowly  east. 
 
  We  drifted  o'er  the  harbor  bar.  --  Coleridge. 
 
  2.  To  accumulate  in  heaps  by  the  force  of  wind;  to  be  driven 
  into  heaps;  as  snow  or  sand  drifts. 
 
  3.  (mining)  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.  [U.S.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Drift  \Drift\,  n.  [From  {drive};  akin  to  LG  &  D.  drift  a 
  driving,  Icel.  drift  snowdrift,  Dan.  drift,  impulse,  drove, 
  herd,  pasture,  common,  G.  trift  pasturage,  drove.  See 
  {Drive}.] 
  1.  A  driving;  a  violent  movement. 
 
  The  dragon  drew  him  [self]  away  with  drift  of  his 
  wings.  --King 
  Alisaunder 
  (1332). 
 
  2.  The  act  or  motion  of  drifting;  the  force  which  impels  or 
  drives;  an  overpowering  influence  or  impulse. 
 
  A  bad  man,  being  under  the  drift  of  any  passion, 
  will  follow  the  impulse  of  it  till  something 
  interpose.  --South. 
 
  3.  Course  or  direction  along  which  anything  is  driven; 
  setting.  ``Our  drift  was  south.''  --Hakluyt. 
 
  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 
 
  He  has  made  the  drift  of  the  whole  poem  a  compliment 
  on  his  country  in  general.  --  Addison. 
 
  Now  thou  knowest  my  drift.  --Sir  W. 
  Scott. 
 
  5.  That  which  is  driven,  forced,  or  urged  along  as: 
  a  Anything  driven  at  random.  ``Some  log  .  .  .  a  useless 
  drift.''  --Dryden. 
  b  A  mass  of  matter  which  has  been  driven  or  forced 
  onward  together  in  a  body,  or  thrown  together  in  a 
  heap,  etc.,  esp.  by  wind  or  water;  as  a  drift  of 
  snow,  of  ice,  of  sand,  and  the  like 
 
  Drifts  of  rising  dust  involve  the  sky.  --  Pope. 
 
  We  got  the  brig  a  good  bed  in  the  rushing  drift 
  [of  ice].  --Kane. 
  c  A  drove  or  flock,  as  of  cattle,  sheep,  birds.  [Obs.] 
 
  Cattle  coming  over  the  bridge  (with  their  great 
  drift  doing  much  damage  to  the  high  ways).  -- 
  Fuller. 
 
  6.  (Arch.)  The  horizontal  thrust  or  pressure  of  an  arch  or 
  vault  upon  the  abutments.  [R.]  --Knight. 
 
  7.  (Geol.)  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  agency  of  ice. 
 
  8.  In  South  Africa,  a  ford  in  a  river. 
 
  9.  (Mech.)  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. 
 
  10.  (Mil.) 
  a  A  tool  used  in  driving  down  compactly  the  composition 
  contained  in  a  rocket,  or  like  firework. 
  b  A  deviation  from  the  line  of  fire,  peculiar  to  oblong 
  projectiles. 
 
  11.  (Mining)  A  passage  driven  or  cut  between  shaft  and  shaft; 
  a  driftway;  a  small  subterranean  gallery;  an  adit  or 
  tunnel. 
 
  12.  (Naut.) 
  a  The  distance  through  which  a  current  flows  in  a  given 
  time. 
  b  The  angle  which  the  line  of  a  ship's  motion  makes 
  with  the  meridian,  in  drifting. 
  c  The  distance  to  which  a  vessel  is  carried  off  from 
  her  desired  course  by  the  wind,  currents,  or  other 
  causes. 
  d  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. 
  e  The  distance  between  the  two  blocks  of  a  tackle. 
 
  13.  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. 
 
  Note:  Drift  is  used  also  either  adjectively  or  as  the  first 
  part  of  a  compound.  See  {Drift},  a. 
 
  {Drift  of  the  forest}  (O.  Eng.  Law),  an  examination  or  view 
  of  the  cattle  in  a  forest,  in  order  to  see  whose  they  are 
  whether  they  are  commonable,  and  to  determine  whether  or 
  not  the  forest  is  surcharged.  --Burrill. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  drift 
  n  1:  a  force  that  moves  something  along  [syn:  {impetus},  {impulsion}] 
  2:  the  gradual  departure  from  an  intended  course  due  to 
  external  influences  (as  a  ship  or  plane) 
  3:  a  process  of  linguistic  change  over  a  period  of  time 
  4:  something  heaped  up  by  the  wind  or  current 
  5:  a  general  tendency  as  of  opinion:  "not  openly  liberal  but 
  that  is  the  tendency  of  the  book"  [syn:  {trend}] 
  6:  general  meaning  or  tenor:  "caught  the  drift  of  the 
  conversation"  [syn:  {purport}] 
  7:  (mining)  a  horizontal  (or  nearly  horizontal)  passageway  in  a 
  mine;  "they  dug  a  drift  parallel  with  the  vein"  [syn:  {heading}, 
  {gallery}] 
  v  1:  be  in  motion  due  to  some  air  current;  "The  leaves  were 
  blowing  in  the  wind";  "the  boat  drifted  on  the  lake" 
  [syn:  {float},  {be  adrift},  {blow}] 
  2:  wander  from  a  direct  course  or  at  random  [syn:  {stray},  {err}] 
  3:  wander  about  aimlessly;  "The  gypsies  roamed  the  woods"  [syn: 
  {wander},  {swan},  {stray},  {roam},  {cast},  {ramble},  {rove}, 
  {range},  {vagabond}] 
  4:  be  driven  or  carried  along  [syn:  {waft}] 
  5:  live  irresponsibly  or  freely  [syn:  {freewheel}] 




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