Word
drifter
US/ˈdɹɪftɝ/
UK/dɹˈɪftɐ/
Definition
n. a person who moves from place to place without a fixed home or job. In some contexts, it can also describe a person who moves between different groups or ideas.
n. a person who moves from place to place without a fixed home or job. In a figurative sense, it describes a person who lacks a consistent direction or allegiance.
Examples
“He lived as a drifter for several years.”
“The drifter moved from town to town, looking for temporary work at the local docks.”
“The novel follows a drifter who navigates the shifting allegiances of a small mining community, never settling long enough to form a permanent bond with any single resident.”
Examples
simple
“He lived as a drifter for several years.”
contextual
“The drifter moved from town to town, looking for temporary work at the local docks.”
complex
“The novel follows a drifter who navigates the shifting allegiances of a small mining community, never settling long enough to form a permanent bond with any single resident.”
Etymology
From drift (verb) + -er.
From drift (noun) + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/drifter