◙ verb, [no obj.] 1. be carried slowly by a current of air or water • 飘；飘流 »the cabin cruiser started to drift downstream. 游艇开始顺水往下飘。 »excited voices drifted down the hall. 兴奋的声音在大厅里扩散。 [with adverbial of direction] (of a person) walk slowly, aimlessly, or casually • （人）随意（或无目的地）慢慢移动 »people began to drift away. 人们开始慢慢散去。 [with adverbial] move passively, aimlessly, or involuntarily into a certain situation or condition • 自然地（或不知不觉）进入（一种状态） »I was drifting off to sleep. 我不知不觉睡着了。 »Lewis and his father drifted apart. 刘易斯和他的父亲不知不觉地疏远了。 (of a person or their attention) digress or stray to another subject • 离题；（注意力）转移 »I noticed my audience's attention drifting. 我注意到听众注意力在分散。 2. (especially of snow or leaves) be blown into heaps by the wind • （尤指雪或树叶）被吹积 »fallen leaves start to drift in the gutters. 落叶开始被风吹积在排水沟内。 »[as adj. drifting] drifting snow. 被风吹积的雪。 ◙ noun 1. [in sing.] a continuous slow movement from one place to another • （缓慢的）流动 »there was a drift to the towns. 曾有一次人口向城市流动的情况。 [mass noun] the deviation of a vessel, aircraft, or projectile from its intended or expected course as the result of currents or winds • （水流、气流导致的船舶、飞机或飞弹的）偏航，偏移 »the pilot had not noticed any appreciable drift. 驾驶员没有发现任何明显的偏航。 a steady movement or development from one thing towards another, especially one that is perceived as unwelcome • （尤指向令人不快方向）渐变 »the drift towards a more repressive style of policing. 向更具压制性治安管理方式的渐变。 [mass noun] a state of inaction or indecision • 怠惰；优柔寡断 »after so much drift, any expression of enthusiasm is welcome. 犹豫了这么久之后，任何热情表现都是受欢迎的。 [Motor Racing] a controlled skid, used in taking bends at high speeds • [赛车] （高速行驶中转弯时）有控制滑行 [Brit. historical] an act of driving cattle or sheep • [英，史] 驱赶（牲畜） [Brit. historical] a herding of cattle within a forest to a particular place on an appointed day in order to determine ownership or to levy fines • [英，史] 林中赶拢牲口（以判定所有权和课税） 2. [in sing.] the general intention or meaning of an argument or someone's remarks • 主旨；意义，含意 »he didn't understand much Greek, but he got her drift. 他不太懂希腊语，但他明白她大致的意思。 3. a large mass of snow, leaves, or other material piled up or carried along by the wind • （雪、树叶等大量的）吹积物，吹飘 [mass noun] [Geology] glacial and fluvioglacial deposits left by retreating ice sheets • [地质] 冰碛 a large mass of flowering plants growing together • 大丛开花植物 »a drift of daffodils. 一大丛水仙。 4. [Mining] a horizontal or inclined passage following a mineral vein or coal seam • [矿] 水平巷道，平巷，平峒 5. [S. African] a ford • [南非] 浅滩
【派生】
♦ drifty adjective (driftier driftiest)
【语源】
1. Middle English (in the sense 'mass of snow, leaves, etc.'): originally from Old Norse drift 'snowdrift, something driven'; in later use from Middle Dutch drift 'course, current', and (in sense 5) South African Dutch drift 'ford'; related to drive