drift

drift
verb
[no obj.]

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。
(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

[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）
[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。
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。
(Mining)a horizontal or inclined passage following a mineral vein or coal seam
(矿)水平巷道，平巷，平峒
(S. African)a ford
(南非)浅滩

派生
drifty
( driftier, driftiest)
adjective(driftier, driftiest)
语源

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

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