The noun drift has 7 senses (first 2 from tagged texts)
1. (3) drift, impetus, impulsion -- (a force that moves something along)
2. (1) drift -- (the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane))
3. drift -- (a process of linguistic change over a period of time)
4. drift -- (something that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents)
5. drift, 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")
6. drift, purport -- (the pervading meaning or tenor; "caught the general drift of the conversation")
7. drift, heading, gallery -- (a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine; "they dug a drift parallel with the vein")
Overview of verb drift
The verb drift has 10 senses (first 3 from tagged texts)
1. (6) float, drift, be adrift, blow -- (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")
2. (3) stray, err, drift -- (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")
3. (3) roll, wander, swan, stray, tramp, roam, cast, ramble, rove, range, drift, vagabond -- (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")
4. drift -- (vary or move from a fixed point or course; "stock prices are drifting higher")
5. freewheel, drift -- (live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely; "My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school")
6. drift -- (move in an unhurried fashion; "The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests")
7. drift -- (cause to be carried by a current; "drift the boats downstream")
8. drift -- (drive slowly and far afield for grazing; "drift the cattle herds westwards")
9. drift -- (be subject to fluctuation; "The stock market drifted upward")
10. drift -- (be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current; "snow drifting several feet high"; "sand drifting like snow")