• DRIFT

1.

• Impulse, vis (overbearing power): efficientia (impellent force): impulsus (impulse) :” we are under the drift of passions,” cupiditates dominationem in nos habent: to do anything under the drift of passion, cupide agere; impetu quodam trahi ad aliquid.
• Violence, vis; gravitas; incitatio; impetus [SYN. in VIOLENCE.]
• A shower (of rain), imber repente effusus or imber only: also imber violenter fusus; (of hail) vis creberrimae grandinis; (of snow) vis nivis creberrimae (after Liv., 28, 37) :” adrift of bullets,” (Shakspeare), magna vis glandium or telorum (☞ Tac., Agr., 36, 1): velut nubes glandium or telorum (cf., Liv., 21, 55).
• Tendency, consilium, propositum: finis [Vid: AIM]: to have such or such a drift, spectare, pertinere ad aliquid: that’s my drift, hoc meum consilium or hoc mihi propositum est: my drift is this, hoc specto or volo :what’s the drift of this speech or discourse? quorsum haec spectat oratio? or quid igitur spectat haec oratio? the drift of this speech is that, etc., haec eo pertinet oratio, ut, etc.: the drift of it is quite different from what was imagined, alio spectat: since nobody knew the exact drift of this answer, id responsum quo valeret, cum intelligeret nemo.
• Drift-sand, syrtis (σίρτις); mons arenae (☞ Plin. 3, 1, 3, ed. Hard.): drifts of snow, nives exaggeratae, *nives per ventum congestae: drift-wood, *ligna ad litus delata.

2. v. Vid: To DRIVE.

3. INTRANS., fluitare in alto (e.g., tempestatibus, Cic.; of a ship); ad litus ferri, deferri (of wood): sand drifts, *arenae vento in altum sublatae feruntur: the snow drifts, *nives per ventum congeruntur.