drifter

/ˈdrɪftə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdrɪftər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdrif-tər/ (ame, mw)

drifter — noun

  • driftersingular
  • driftersplural

1. a person who keeps moving from place to place or from one short job to the next,

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person who keeps moving from place to place or from one short job to the next, without building a settled home or a clear direction in life

例句

After losing two jobs, Omar became a drifter, sleeping in buses and cheap motels.

became a drifter after losing work and home

The film follows a drifter who arrives in town with one bag.

同義詞
  • wanderer

    more neutral or poetic; less likely to imply irresponsibility

  • nomad

    can suggest a chosen or traditional way of life rather than aimless movement

  • vagabond

    more old-fashioned and more strongly negative

反義詞
  • settler

    someone who chooses a permanent place to live

  • resident

    someone who lives in one place on a regular basis

文法句型

a + drifter

drifter + verb of movement

用法筆記

Usually refers to someone without stable work, housing, or plans, so it often sounds more critical and less romantic than wanderer or traveler.

常見錯誤

❌She was a drifter on her two-week trip to Seoul.
✅She was a traveler on her two-week trip to Seoul.
💡'drifter' suggests an unsettled life, not a short planned holiday.

2. a fishing boat that works by letting long nets drift behind it in the water

2.名詞C2
釋義

a fishing boat that works by letting long nets drift behind it in the water

例句

At dawn, the drifter left harbor and set its long nets.

drifter + set long nets

Two men on the drifter hauled silver fish over the side.

同義詞
  • drift-net boat

    near-technical label that makes the fishing method explicit

  • fishing boat

    broader term; does not specify this net-based design

文法句型

a + drifter

drifter + with + [nets]

用法筆記

Used in fishing contexts for a boat designed to work with drift nets, not for ordinary passenger or pleasure boats.

常見錯誤

❌The drifter carried tourists to the island all summer.
✅The boat carried tourists to the island all summer.
💡a drifter is specifically a net-fishing boat, not any small boat.

3. in cricket, a delivery that glides sideways through the air before it reaches th

3.名詞C2
釋義

in cricket, a delivery that glides sideways through the air before it reaches the batter

例句

Hari swung too early as the drifter curved past his bat.

drifter curved past the bat in flight

The slow drifter moved away in the air and missed the edge.

同義詞
  • spinner

    broader term; includes many spinning deliveries, not only one that drifts in the air

文法句型

bowl + a drifter

a + drifter

用法筆記

Used in cricket for the ball or delivery itself, especially when the sideways movement in the air helps deceive the batter before the ball lands.