v (1) (使)漂(飘)((cause to)be carried along by or as if by a current of water or air)[I，I+prep，I+adv，T+n，T+n+prep，T+n+adv]：The boat(wreckage/people)～ed down the river/towards the rock/out to sea/ashore/away. 船(船的残骸/人们)往河的下游/岩石/海口/岸上/远处漂去。The straw(leaves)～ed on the water/downstream. 稻草(树叶)在水面上/往下游漂。The smoke～ed away/toward the north/out through the window. 烟飘走了/飘向北方/飘出窗外。Snow～ed across the road. 雪吹过路面。The wind～ed the leaves across our yard. 风把树叶从我们院子吹过。They(The current)～ed the logs/the boat downstream. 他们(水流)把原木/船漂向下游。

(2)(被风)吹积 ((cause to) accumulate in piles by the wind)[I，I+prep，I+adv，T+n，T+n+prep，T+n+adv]：The snow～ed against the garage/deeply in the valley/everywhere. 雪被风吹得堆积在车库前/厚厚地堆积在山谷里/到处都是。The wind ～ed the snow into a high bank/against the wall/against the door. 风把雪吹得堆积成了高堤/堆在墙下/堵了门。The snow lay～ed in great piles against the house. 雪在门前堆成了几大堆。～ing sand 吹积起来的沙子;〖同〗gather，pile up，accumulate;

(3) 游荡(逛)((of people)move or live aimlessly)[I，I+prep，I+adv]：～from job to job/town to town 经常换工作/居住的城市;～through life终生漂泊;The bystanders/crowds gradually～ed away. 参观者/人群逐渐散开了。～about (doing nothing)/in (now and then)(无所事事地)东游西荡/(不时地)逛进来;She doesn't want a career;she's just～ing.(fig) 她不想有职业，就那么游手好闲。The couple (two friends)gradually～ed apart/away from each other.(fig)这对夫妇(两个朋友)逐渐疏远了。The country(nation) is～ing towards bankruptcy/to the edge of disaster.(fig)这个国家(国家)在走向破产/灾难的边缘。

→′drifter n 漂泊者;漂网渔船;′drift-ice n 浮冰;′drift-net n 漂网;′drift-wood n 浮木;

n(1) 漂流，飘飞(movement or process of sth drifting)[U， C]：The～of the tide/the current/the wind is northerly (to the north). 潮汐/水流/风的方向是北。〖同〗movement， stream， current， flow， direction;

(2)(积成的)雪(沙)滩(heap of sth， esp snow or sand， piled up by a current of air or water)[C]：be buried in a～of snow/sand/leaves 埋在雪/沙/树叶堆中;deep snow-～s 大雪堆;snow in great～s 积成大堆的雪;Wind left the snow in 10-foot～s. 风刮过后把雪堆成了10英尺高的雪堆。His car stuck in a～.他的车陷进雪堆中开不出来了。〖同〗heap， pile， mass， accumulation;

(3) 消极自流(状态)(practice of being inactive and waiting for things to happen)[U]：the aimless～of the former government 前政府漫无目的的随意施政;The governments policy is one of～. 政府实行的是一种放任自流的政策。My mind is in a state of～. 我的头脑处于思绪不定的状态。

(4) 不良趋势，动向(continuous， uncontrolled movement or tendency towards sth bad)[C](fig)：a slow～into debt/war/crisis 渐渐陷入债务/战争/危机;The general～of affairs was towards war. 事件的总趋势是导致战争。the ～towards war 爆发战争的趋势;the～of young people from the country to the city 年轻人从农村流向城市的趋势;

(5) 大意，要旨((of speech， writing， etc) general meaning or sense)[U， a～]：see(follow/catch/get) the (general)～of sb's argument/sb's conversation/sb's question/sb's words/what sb says 明白(理解/抓住/弄懂)某人的争辩/谈话/提问/话/所谈的话的大意;Do you get my～? 你能明白我的大意吗?〖同〗meaning， sense;objective， aim，direction， purpose;

(6)偏航(derivation by a ship from a set course， due to currents， winds， etc) [U](=driftage);

→′driftage n 偏航

【辨异】drift与current、tread、tendency和inclination的区别见CURRENT。