What is the Latin word for drift?

The usual Latin words for “drift” are volō, efficiō, impellō; also gravitās, incitātiō, impetus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“drift” in Latin

volōto wish, to please; to want; to mean, to intend efficiōto make out or work out; effect, execute, complete, accomplish, make, form, compose; to cause to occur, to bring about, impellōto push, drive or strike against something; assail; to drive or push forward, set in motion, urge on, impel; to impel, i gravitāsweight, heaviness; gravity, seriousness; severity, harshness incitātiōincitement; vehemence, ardour impetusan attack, an assault, a charge; a rapid motion; impulse, vehemence, ardor, passion imberrain; a storm; a stormcloud cōnsiliumplan, intention, design, purpose; counsel, advice; determination, resolve, resolution prōpōnōto set forth, to put forth, to lay out; to expose to view, display; to make known fīnisend; limit, border, bound boundary, frontier; boundaries, bounds, frontiers; by extension, territory, region, lands

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

drift

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.

drift

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.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for drift?: The usual Latin words for “drift” are volō, efficiō, impellō; also gravitās, incitātiō, impetus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.