Drift vs. Rift

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

Driftnoun

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

Riftnoun

A chasm or fissure.

My marriage is in trouble: the fight created a rift between us and we can't reconnect.The Grand Canyon is a rift in the Earth's surface, but is smaller than some of the undersea ones.

Driftnoun

(obsolete) A driving; a violent movement.

Riftnoun

A break in the clouds, fog, mist etc., which allows light through.

Driftnoun

Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting.

Riftnoun

A shallow place in a stream; a ford.

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Driftnoun

That which is driven, forced, or urged along.

Riftverb

(intransitive) To form a rift; to split open.

Driftnoun

Anything driven at random.

Riftverb

(transitive) To cleave; to rive; to split.

to rift an oak

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.

Riftverb

To belch.

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Driftnoun

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

Riftnoun

a gap between cloud masses;

the sun shone through a rift in the clouds

Driftnoun

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

Riftnoun

a narrow fissure in rock

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.

Riftnoun

a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions);

they hoped to avoid a break in relations

Driftnoun

Driftwood included in flotsam washed up onto the beach.

Driftnoun

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

Driftnoun

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

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.

Driftnoun

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

Driftnoun

(handiwork) A tool.

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.

Driftnoun

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

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.

Driftnoun

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

Driftnoun

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

Driftnoun

(nautical) Movement.

Driftnoun

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

Driftnoun

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

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.

Driftnoun

The distance between the two blocks of a tackle.

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.

Driftnoun

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

Driftnoun

Slow, cumulative change.

genetic drift

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.

Driftverb

(intransitive) To move haphazardly without any destination.

He drifted from town to town, never settling down.

Driftverb

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

This car tends to drift left at high speeds.

Driftverb

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

Driftverb

(transitive) To drive into heaps.

A current of wind drifts snow or sand

Driftverb

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

Snow or sand drifts.

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.

Driftverb

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

Driftverb

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

Driftnoun

a force that moves something along

Driftnoun

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

Driftnoun

a process of linguistic change over a period of time

Driftnoun

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

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

Driftnoun

general meaning or tenor;

caught the drift of the conversation

Driftnoun

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

they dug a drift parallel with the vein

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

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

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

Driftverb

vary or move from a fixed point or course;

stock prices are drifting higher

Driftverb

live unhurriedly, irresponsibly, or freely;

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

Driftverb

move in an unhurried fashion;

The unknown young man drifted among the invited guests

Driftverb

cause to be carried by a current;

drift the boats downstream

Driftverb

drive slowly and far afield for grazing;

drift the cattle herds westwards

Driftverb

be subject to fluctuation;

The stock market drifted upward

Driftverb

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

snow drifting several feet highsand drifting like snow