Drifter

/ˈdɹɪftə/ · noun

Meaning

(sometimes derogatory) A person who moves from place to place or job to job..

Definitions by Sense

1. (sometimes derogatory) A person who moves from place to place or job to job.
2. (nautical) A type of lightweight sail used in light winds like a spinnaker.
3. (automotive) A driver who uses driving techniques to modify vehicle traction to cause a vehicle to slide or power slide rather than drive in line with the tires.
4. (parachuting) A parachutist who jumps before the rest of the group to determine wind direction.
5. (mining, historical) A person employed in driving in rock other than coal.
6. (fishing) One who takes part in drift fishing.
7. (fishing) A boat used for drift fishing.

Example Sentences

There are drifters painting beside you / They don't see the future that I do

In winds above 10 knots we usually run wing-and-wing with our 100 percent lapper set on a whisker pole opposite the mainsail. As the wind drops, we get out the drifter and set it flying to leeward (Fig. 1).

After trying a variety of light-wind sails, we've found the most versatile and simple one to be a nylon drifter.

Some people recommend a medium- to lightweight 140- or 150-percent headsail, and others go for a drifter/reacher.

However, sensing the available traction may actually be more important to a drifter.

For professional drifters looking for even more fine-tuning of their suspension setups, some companies offer more advanced two-way adjustable shocks […]

While this method is used by a few drifters in rear-wheel drive cars, this technique is really the only way one can drift in a front-wheel drive car.

As we circled the area, the Dakota appeared and dropped a drifter.

Synonyms for drifter

Antonyms for drifter

Related Words

Word Forms

• drifters

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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