drift
Move without purpose
When something drifts, it moves somewhat slowly and not always in a consistent direction.
When a conversation drifts, it moves gradually from one topic to another.
Drift is an instance of such movement (continental drift).
If you get the drift of what someone is saying, you understand their underlying message.
Genetic drift is the process by which the genomes of a population change through gain and loss of genes.
Move without fixed direction
- roamTravel without fixed purpose
- rambleMove or speak without direction
- strayWander from course
- ambleRelaxed, slow gait
saunter · vagabond · nomad · aimless · directionless · purposeless · rootless · unmoored
Buoyant object or vehicle
Massive saltwater body
- tideOcean's cyclical swell
- currentDirected flow of charge
- downstreamAlong the current's path
- upstreamToward a river's origin
longshore · continental · ice · gyre · marine · nautical · buoy · flotsam
Stealthy, slow movement
- shiftMovement or work period
- veerChange course suddenly
- strayWander from course
- deviateTurn from course
diverge · migrate · slide · tendency · trend · slippage · gradual · imperceptible
Central meaning distilled
- intentPlanned purpose
- meaningWhat something signifies
- thrustForceful forward motion
- tenorEssential meaning or import
purport · implication · sense · direction · point · essence · substance · message
Accumulated mass of objects
- moundHeaped earth formation
- bankPlace holding deposits
- heapJumbled collection of items
- buildupGradual accumulation over time
accumulate · collect · gather · deposit · sediment · sandbar · dune · debris
Enclosed underground route
- passageSegment of text
- aditHorizontal mine opening
- excavationAct of unearthing
- shaftNarrow vertical passage
gallery · horizontal · underground · mineshaft · seam · ore · coalface · crosscut
wander
Move without fixed direction
amble · saunter · vagabond · nomad · aimless · directionless · purposeless · rootless · unmoored · unanchored
float
Buoyant object or vehicle
coast · sail · hover · sweep · slide · stream · flow · skim · bob · buoy
ocean
Massive saltwater body
- tideOcean's cyclical swell
- currentDirected flow of charge
- downstreamAlong the current's path
upstream · longshore · continental · ice · gyre · marine · nautical · buoy · flotsam · jetsam
creep
Stealthy, slow movement
deviate · diverge · migrate · slide · tendency · trend · slippage · gradual · imperceptible · incremental
gist
Central meaning distilled
tenor · purport · implication · sense · direction · point · essence · substance · message · suggestion
pile
Accumulated mass of objects
buildup · accumulate · collect · gather · deposit · sediment · sandbar · dune · debris · windblown
tunnel
Enclosed underground route
- passageSegment of text
- aditHorizontal mine opening
- excavationAct of unearthing
shaft · gallery · horizontal · underground · mineshaft · seam · ore · coalface · crosscut · heading
- movementwalk, move, go, run, jump
- motorsportsracing, race, race tracks, Daytona 500, racing teams
- racingrace, racing, race track, racetrack, lap
- Snowsnowflake, snowfall, snowpack, snowfield, snowbank
- chasespursuit, chase, flee, fleeing, escape
- dispositionsdisposition, predisposition, inclination, tendency, propensity
- hard driveComputer's internal storage device
- drive awayCause to retreat
- drive offForce to retreat
- drifted offGradually fell asleep
- test driveEvaluative vehicle excursion
- drift offBegin sleeping gradually
drive, drifting, drifter, drifted, adrift, drifts, drifters, driftwood, snowdrift