Textual thesaurus for "drift"

(noun) gallery, heading

a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine

they dug a drift parallel with the vein

(noun) purport

the pervading meaning or tenor

caught the general drift of the conversation

(noun) trend, movement

a general tendency to change (as of opinion)

not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book; a broad movement of the electorate to the right

(noun) impetus, impulsion

a force that moves something along

(verb) tramp, swan, stray, cast, roam, ramble, range, vagabond, wander, roll, rove

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

The gypsies roamed the woods; roving vagabonds; the wandering Jew; The cattle roam across the prairie; the laborers drift from one town to the next; They rolled from town to town

(verb) float, blow, be adrift

be in motion due to some air or water current

The leaves were blowing in the wind; the boat drifted on the lake; The sailboat was adrift on the open sea; the shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore

(verb) stray, err

wander from a direct course or at random

The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her; don't drift from the set course

(verb) freewheel

live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely

My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school