drift

noun

缓缓流动 slow movement

1. 流动；趋势；逐渐变化（尤指向坏的方面）
   a slow steady movement from one place to another; a gradual change or development from one situation to another, especially to sth bad
   1. a population drift away from rural areas
      农村地区的人口外流
   2. attempts to halt the drift towards war
      制止逐步走上战争道路的努力

船舶 of ship

2. （船只或飞机的）偏航，航差
   the movement of a ship or plane away from its direction because of currents or wind

海水；空气 of sea/air

3. 水流；气流；流动
   the movement of the sea or air
   1. the general direction of drift on the east coast
      东海岸海水的总体流向
   2. He knew the hidden drifts in that part of the river.
      他对那段河道中的暗流非常清楚。

雪 of snow

4. 吹聚物；雪堆
   a large pile of sth, especially snow, made by the wind
   1. The road was blocked by deep drifts of snow.
      道路被风吹来的厚厚积雪阻塞。

花 of flowers

5. 大丛的花；丛生的植物
   a large mass of sth, especially flowers
   1. Plant daffodils in informal drifts.
      随便种几丛黄水仙。

意义 meaning

6. 大意；主旨；要点
   the general meaning of what sb says or writes
   1. Do you catch my drift ?
      你明白我的大意吗？
   2. My German isn't very good, but I got the drift of what she said.
      我的德语不太好，但我大致明白她说的意思。

verb

缓缓流动 move slowly

1. 漂流；漂移；飘
   to move along smoothly and slowly in water or air
   1. Clouds drifted across the sky.
      朵朵浮云在空中飘过。
   2. The empty boat drifted out to sea.
      空船向海上漂去。
2. 缓缓移动；缓慢行走
   to move or go somewhere slowly
   1. The crowd drifted away from the scene of the accident.
      人群渐渐从事故现场散去。
   2. Her gaze drifted around the room.
      她用目光缓缓扫视了一下室内。

漫无目的 without purpose

3. 无意间发生；无目的地转变；顺其自然地做
   to happen or change, or to do sth without a particular plan or purpose
   1. I didn't intend to be a teacher─I just drifted into it.
      我并没想过当老师——只是顺其自然就当了。
   2. He hasn't decided what to do yet─he's just drifting.
      他还没决定做什么——只是顺其自然。
   3. The conversation drifted onto politics.
      谈话不知不觉就转到政治方面来了。

状态；情况 into state/situation

4. 无意间进入；不知不觉陷入
   to go from one situation or state to another without realizing it
   1. Finally she drifted into sleep.
      最后她不知不觉地睡着了。
   2. The injured man tried to speak but soon drifted into unconsciousness.
      受伤的男人想说点什么，但一会儿就不省人事了。

雪；沙 of snow/sand

5. 吹积；堆积
   to be blown into large piles by the wind
   1. drifting sand
      堆积的沙
   2. Some roads are closed because of drifting.
      有些道路因积雪而封闭。

漂浮 float

6. 使漂流；使漂浮
   to make sth float somewhere
   1. The logs are drifted downstream to the mill.
      原木顺流漂到木材加工厂。

1. VERB 飘移;漂流
   When something drifts somewhere, it is carried there by the movement of wind or water.
   1. We proceeded to drift on up the river...
      我们继续向河流的上游漂流。
   2. The climbing balloon drifted silently over the countryside...
      不断上升的气球静静地飘过乡间。
   3. The waves became rougher as they drifted.
      他们漂流的时候,波浪越来越汹涌了。
2. VERB 无意间进入;不知不觉陷入
   If someone or something drifts into a situation, they get into that situation in a way that is not planned or controlled.
   1. We need to offer young people drifting into crime an alternative set of values...
      我们需要给那些无意间犯了罪的年轻人灌输另一套价值观。
   2. She and her husband drifted apart and, eventually, they divorced...
      她和她丈夫渐行渐远,最后他们离婚了。
   3. There is a general sense that the country and economy alike are drifting.
      大家普遍感觉国家和经济都脱离了正轨。
3. VERB 流浪;漂泊
   If you say that someone drifts around, you mean that they travel from place to place without a plan or settled way of life.
   1. You've been drifting from job to job without any real commitment.
      你一直在无目的地更换工作，从未真正投入进去。
4. N-COUNT 移动;动向;趋势;逐渐变化
   A drift is a movement away from somewhere or something, or a movement towards somewhere or something different.
   1. ...the drift towards the cities.
      涌向城市的趋势
5. VERB 缓慢移动;逐渐移动
   To drift somewhere means to move there slowly or gradually.
   1. As rural factories shed labour, people drift towards the cities.
      由于农村的工厂纷纷裁员,人们逐渐流向城市。
6. VERB (声音等)传到,传出
   If sounds drift somewhere, they can be heard but they are not very loud.
   1. Cool summer dance sounds are drifting from the stereo indoors.
      清凉的夏日舞曲的声音从室内音响中传了出来。
7. VERB (雪)吹积,堆积
   If snow drifts, it builds up into piles as a result of the movement of the wind.
   1. The snow, except where it drifted, was only calf-deep...
      除了吹得堆积起来的地方,雪只有小腿肚深。
   2. The storm caused severe drifting.
      暴风雪造成了严重的积雪现象。
   3. ...the white and drifted snow.
      白色的积雪
8. N-COUNT 雪堆
   A drift is a mass of snow that has built up into a pile as a result of the movement of wind.
   1. ...a nine-foot snow drift.
      9英尺深的雪堆
9. N-COUNT 吹积物;飘浮物;漂流物
   A drift of something is an amount of it that has been created by the movement of wind or water.
   1. There was a drift of smoke above the trees.
      树林上空飘浮着一股烟。
10. N-SING (论点或演说的)主旨,大意
    The drift of an argument or speech is the general point that is being made in it.
    1. Grace was beginning to get his drift...
       格雷丝慢慢明白了他的意思。
    2. Anybody who's listening will get the drift of what he was saying...
       任何一个在专心听的人都会领悟他所说的大意。
    3. I follow the drift of her conversation.
       我明白她谈话的大意。

1. We proceeded to drift on up the river
   我们继续向河流的上游漂流。
2. The climbing balloon drifted silently over the countryside
   不断上升的气球静静地飘过乡间。
3. The waves became rougher as they drifted.
   他们漂流的时候，波浪越来越汹涌了。
4. We need to offer young people drifting into crime an alternative set of values
   我们需要给那些无意间犯了罪的年轻人灌输另一套价值观。
5. She and her husband drifted apart and, eventually, they divorced
   她和她丈夫渐行渐远，最后他们离婚了。
6. There is a general sense that the country and economy alike are drifting.
   大家普遍感觉国家和经济都脱离了正轨。
7. You've been drifting from job to job without any real commitment.
   你一直在无目的地更换工作，从未真正投入进去。
8. As rural factories shed labour, people drift towards the cities.
   由于农村的工厂纷纷裁员，人们逐渐流向城市。
9. Cool summer dance sounds are drifting from the stereo indoors.
   清凉的夏日舞曲的声音从室内音响中传了出来。
10. The snow, except where it drifted, was only calf-deep
    除了吹得堆积起来的地方，雪只有小腿肚深。
11. The storm caused severe drifting.
    暴风雪造成了严重的积雪现象。
12. There was a drift of smoke above the trees.
    树林上空飘浮着一股烟。
13. Grace was beginning to get his drift
    格雷丝慢慢明白了他的意思。
14. Anybody who's listening will get the drift of what he was saying
    任何一个在专心听的人都会领悟他所说的大意。
15. I follow the drift of her conversation.
    我明白她谈话的大意。
16. Amy thought she caught the faintest drift of Isabel's flowery perfume.
    埃米觉得她闻到了伊莎贝尔身上飘出的一丝极微弱的花香味香水的味道。
17. Here and there a drift across the road was wet and slushy.
    路上不时会有吹聚起的积雪，泥泞而湿滑。
18. Sometimes several clusters of white clouds drift across the blue sky.
    蔚蓝色的天空中，时而飘过几朵白云。
19. One must have one's own opinions and not drift with the current.
    遇事要有主见，决不能随波逐流。
20. The leaves drift in the storm.
    树叶在暴风雨中飘动。
21. With any luck, this boat will drift towards the shore.
    幸运的话，这条船会漂到岸边。
22. As children grow up, they drift away from their parents'views.
    孩子们长大以后就不再按父母的观点考虑问题了。
23. There is a slow drift into crisis.
    有一种渐入危机的趋势。
24. The drift of the icebergs in the sea endangers the ships.
    海上冰山的漂流危及船只的安全。
25. Let the fragrant drift and drag under the candlelight, reflect the shadow on the stone as it carries a little bite of clarity and sweetness.
    繁杂刻板的日子里，让暗香浮动，烛光摇曳，影映石上，几分晶莹，几分甜蜜，随香而至。
26. He was drunk and his feet seemed to drift over the ground.
    他喝醉了，脚下有些飘飘然。
27. Afforestation conserves soil and water and also checks drift sand.
    造林可以保持水土，同时也可以制止流沙。
28. We let our gazes drift onto other objects in the room.
    我们将目光移向房间的其他东西。
29. My English is not very good, but I got the general drift of what he said.
    我英语不太好，但他说的话我大致能听懂。
30. The president was alarmed by the drift toward catastrophe in europe.
    总统对欧洲动荡的时局甚为担忧。

  float drift【导航词义：漂浮】

  float v. （使）漂浮；飘浮；飘动

〔辨析〕指因有液体或气体的支撑而不沉，表示动态或静态，可用于形容具体事物或声音、气味等抽象事物。

  drift v. 漂流，飘移

〔辨析〕指随风或顺水缓慢移动，强调动态，常用于形容具体事物。

drift apart

1. 逐渐疏远
   to become less friendly or close to sb

drift off (to sleep)

1. 入睡；睡着
   to fall asleep

noun

1. a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine
   1. they dug a drift parallel with the vein

   Synonym:    headinggallery

2. the pervading meaning or tenor
   1. caught the general drift of the conversation

   Synonym:    purport

3. a general tendency to change (as of opinion)
   1. not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book
   2. a broad movement of the electorate to the right

   Synonym:    trendmovement

4. a large mass of material that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents

5. a force that moves something along

   Synonym:    impetusimpulsion

6. the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane)

7. a process of linguistic change over a period of time

verb

1. be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current
   1. snow drifting several feet high
   2. sand drifting like snow

2. be subject to fluctuation
   1. The stock market drifted upward

3. drive slowly and far afield for grazing
   1. drift the cattle herds westwards

4. cause to be carried by a current
   1. drift the boats downstream

5. move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
   1. The gypsies roamed the woods
   2. roving vagabonds
   3. the wandering Jew
   4. The cattle roam across the prairie
   5. the laborers drift from one town to the next
   6. They rolled from town to town

   Synonym:    rollwanderswanstraytramproamcastrambleroverangevagabond

6. be in motion due to some air or water current
   1. The leaves were blowing in the wind
   2. the boat drifted on the lake
   3. The sailboat was adrift on the open sea
   4. the shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore

   Synonym:    floatbe adriftblow

7. move in an unhurried fashion
   1. The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests

8. wander from a direct course or at random
   1. The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her
   2. don't drift from the set course

   Synonym:    strayerr

9. live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely
   1. My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school

   Synonym:    freewheel

10. vary or move from a fixed point or course
    1. stock prices are drifting higher