Drag vs. Drift

Drag vs. Drift — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Drag and Drift

Dragnoun

(uncountable) Resistance of the air (or some other fluid) to something moving through it.

When designing cars, manufacturers have to take drag into consideration.

Driftnoun

(physical) Movement; that which moves or is moved.

Dragnoun

The bottom part of a sand casting mold.

Driftnoun

(obsolete) A driving; a violent movement.

Dragnoun

(countable) A device dragged along the bottom of a body of water in search of something, e.g. a dead body, or in fishing.

Driftnoun

Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting.

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Dragnoun

A puff on a cigarette or joint.

Driftnoun

That which is driven, forced, or urged along.

Dragnoun

Someone or something that is annoying or frustrating, or disappointing; an obstacle to progress or enjoyment.

Travelling to work in the rush hour is a real drag.

Driftnoun

Anything driven at random.

Dragnoun

A type of horse-drawn carriage.

Driftnoun

A mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc., especially by wind or water.

a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, etc.
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Dragnoun

Street, as in 'main drag'.

Driftnoun

The distance through which a current flows in a given time.

Dragnoun

(countable) The scent-path left by dragging a fox, for training hounds to follow scents.

to run a drag

Driftnoun

A drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds.

Dragnoun

A large amount of backspin on the cue ball, causing the cue ball to slow down.

Driftnoun

A collection of loose earth and rocks, or boulders, which have been distributed over large portions of the earth's surface, especially in latitudes north of forty degrees, by the retreat of continental glaciers, such as that which buries former river valleys and creates young river valleys.

Dragnoun

A heavy harrow for breaking up ground.

Driftnoun

Driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach.

Dragnoun

A kind of sledge for conveying heavy objects; also, a kind of low car or handcart.

a stone drag

Driftnoun

The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse.

Dragnoun

(metallurgy) The bottom part of a flask or mould, the upper part being the cope.

Driftnoun

A place (a ford) along a river where the water is shallow enough to permit crossing to the opposite side.

Dragnoun

(masonry) A steel instrument for completing the dressing of soft stone.

Driftnoun

The tendency of an act, argument, course of conduct, or the like; object aimed at or intended; intention; hence, also, import or meaning of a sentence or discourse; aim.

Dragnoun

(nautical) The difference between the speed of a screw steamer under sail and that of the screw when the ship outruns the screw; or between the propulsive effects of the different floats of a paddle wheel.

Driftnoun

(architecture) The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments.

Dragnoun

Anything towed in the water to retard a ship's progress, or to keep her head up to the wind; especially, a canvas bag with a hooped mouth (drag sail), so used.

Driftnoun

(handiwork) A tool.

Dragnoun

A skid or shoe for retarding the motion of a carriage wheel.

Driftnoun

A slightly tapered tool of steel for enlarging or shaping a hole in metal, by being forced or driven into or through it; a broach.

Dragnoun

Motion affected with slowness and difficulty, as if clogged.

Driftnoun

A tool used to pack down the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework.

Dragnoun

witch house music

Driftnoun

A tool used to insert or extract a removable pin made of metal or hardwood, for the purpose of aligning and/or securing two pieces of material together.

Dragnoun

The last position in a line of hikers.

Driftnoun

A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to oblong projectiles.

Dragnoun

The act of suppressing wind flow to slow an aircraft in flight, as by use of flaps when landing.

Driftnoun

(mining) A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel.

Dragnoun

Women's clothing worn by men for the purpose of entertainment.

He performed in drag.

Driftnoun

(nautical) Movement.

Dragnoun

Any type of clothing or costume associated with a particular occupation or subculture.

corporate drag

Driftnoun

The angle which the line of a ship's motion makes with the meridian, in drifting.

Dragverb

(transitive) To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.

Driftnoun

The distance a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes.

Dragverb

(intransitive) To move slowly.

Time seems to drag when you’re waiting for a bus.

Driftnoun

The place in a deep-waisted vessel where the sheer is raised and the rail is cut off, and usually terminated with a scroll, or driftpiece.

Dragverb

To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.

Driftnoun

The distance between the two blocks of a tackle.

Dragverb

To move onward heavily, laboriously, or slowly; to advance with weary effort; to go on lingeringly.

Driftnoun

The difference between the size of a bolt and the hole into which it is driven, or between the circumference of a hoop and that of the mast on which it is to be driven.

Dragverb

To draw along (something burdensome); hence, to pass in pain or with difficulty.

Driftnoun

(cricket) A sideways movement of the ball through the air, when bowled by a spin bowler.

Dragverb

To serve as a clog or hindrance; to hold back.

Driftnoun

Slow, cumulative change.

genetic drift

Dragverb

(computing) To move (an item) on the computer display by means of a mouse or other input device.

Drag the file into the window to open it.

Driftverb

(intransitive) To move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc.

The boat drifted away from the shore.The balloon was drifting in the breeze.

Dragverb

(chiefly of a vehicle) To inadvertently rub or scrape on a surface.

The car was so low to the ground that its muffler was dragging on a speed bump.

Driftverb

(intransitive) To move haphazardly without any destination.

He drifted from town to town, never settling down.

Dragverb

(soccer) To hit or kick off target.

Driftverb

(intransitive) To deviate gently from the intended direction of travel.

This car tends to drift left at high speeds.

Dragverb

To fish with a dragnet.

Driftverb

(transitive) To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body.

Dragverb

To search for something, as a lost object or body, by dragging something along the bottom of a body of water.

Driftverb

(transitive) To drive into heaps.

A current of wind drifts snow or sand

Dragverb

To break (land) by drawing a drag or harrow over it; to harrow.

Driftverb

(intransitive) To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps.

Snow or sand drifts.

Dragverb

(figurative) To search exhaustively, as if with a dragnet.

Driftverb

To make a drift; to examine a vein or ledge for the purpose of ascertaining the presence of metals or ores; to follow a vein; to prospect.

Dragverb

(slang) To roast, say negative things about, or call attention to the flaws of (someone).

You just drag him 'cause he's got more money than you.

Driftverb

To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift.

Dragverb

To perform as a drag queen or drag king.

Driftverb

To oversteer a vehicle, causing loss of traction, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. See Drifting (motorsport).

Dragnoun

the phenomenon of resistance to motion through a fluid

Driftnoun

a force that moves something along

Dragnoun

something that slows or delays progress;

taxation is a drag on the economytoo many laws are a drag on the use of new land

Driftnoun

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

Dragnoun

something tedious and boring;

peeling potatoes is a drag

Driftnoun

a process of linguistic change over a period of time

Dragnoun

clothing that is conventionally worn by the opposite sex (especially women's clothing when worn by a man);

he went to the party dressed in dragthe waitresses looked like missionaries in drag

Driftnoun

something that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents

Dragnoun

a slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke);

he took a puff on his pipehe took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly

Driftnoun

a general tendency to change (as of opinion);

not openly liberal but that is the trend of the booka broad movement of the electorate to the right

Dragnoun

the act of dragging (pulling with force);

the drag up the hill exhausted him

Driftnoun

general meaning or tenor;

caught the drift of the conversation

Dragverb

pull, as against a resistance;

He dragged the big suitcase behind himThese worries were dragging at him

Driftnoun

a horizontal (or nearly horizontal) passageway in a mine;

they dug a drift parallel with the vein

Dragverb

draw slowly or heavily;

haul stoneshaul nets

Driftverb

be in motion due to some air or water current;

The leaves were blowing in the windthe boat drifted on the lakeThe sailboat was adrift on the open seathe shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore

Dragverb

force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action;

They were swept up by the eventsdon't drag me into this business

Driftverb

wander from a direct course or at random;

The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of herdon't drift from the set course

Dragverb

move slowly and as if with great effort

Driftverb

move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment;

The gypsies roamed the woodsroving vagabondsthe wandering JewThe cattle roam across the prairiethe laborers drift from one town to the nextThey rolled from town to town

Dragverb

to lag or linger behind;

But in so many other areas we still are dragging

Driftverb

vary or move from a fixed point or course;

stock prices are drifting higher

Dragverb

suck in or take (air);

draw a deep breathdraw on a cigarette

Driftverb

live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely;

My son drifted around for years in California before going to law school

Dragverb

use a computer mouse to move icons on the screen and select commands from a menu;

drag this icon to the lower right hand corner of the screen

Driftverb

move in an unhurried fashion;

The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests

Dragverb

walk without lifting the feet

Driftverb

cause to be carried by a current;

drift the boats downstream

Dragverb

search (as the bottom of a body of water) for something valuable or lost

Driftverb

drive slowly and far afield for grazing;

drift the cattle herds westwards

Dragverb

persuade to come away from something attractive or interesting;

He dragged me away from the television set

Driftverb

be subject to fluctuation;

The stock market drifted upward

Dragverb

proceed for an extended period of time;

The speech dragged on for two hours

Driftverb

be piled up in banks or heaps by the force of wind or a current;

snow drifting several feet highsand drifting like snow