"drifty" meaning in English

See drifty in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Forms: driftier [comparative], driftiest [superlative]
Etymology: Etymology tree English drift Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English drifty From drift + -y. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|drift|-y<id:adjectival>|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree English drift Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English drifty [Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-gaz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*-g", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "-iġ", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-y", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-y", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "drifty", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="drifty"> From drift + -y. Head templates: {{en-adj|er}} drifty (comparative driftier, superlative driftiest)
  1. Tending or seeming to drift.
    Sense id: en-drifty-en-adj-OWtlYRPP
  2. (dialectal) Abounding with driving snow or drift. Tags: dialectal
    Sense id: en-drifty-en-adj-xsPIbMdj Categories (other): English entries referencing missing etymons, English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival), Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees Disambiguation of English entries referencing missing etymons: 10 90 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology texts: 10 90 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 10 90 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 96 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival): 23 77 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 9 91 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 4 96 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 96 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 11 89
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: driftily, driftiness

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "driftily"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "driftiness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "drift",
        "4": "-y<id:adjectival>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish drift\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish drifty\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-gaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-g\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-iġ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"drifty\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"drifty\">\nFrom drift + -y.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish drift\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish drifty\nFrom drift + -y.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "driftier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "driftiest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "drifty (comparative driftier, superlative driftiest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              281,
              287
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1988 November 18, Renaldo Migaldi, “Shrimp Boat”, in Chicago Reader:",
          "text": "The first time I heard them struggling with their electric instruments and singing in cracked falsettos, I imagined a line of fishing boats puttering off into the fogbound sea of a cold New England morn. \"Ah, Shrimp Boat,\" I exclaimed, \"what a fine name for sounds so churning and drifty!\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending or seeming to drift."
      ],
      "id": "en-drifty-en-adj-OWtlYRPP",
      "links": [
        [
          "drift",
          "drift"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "10 90",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries referencing missing etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 90",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology texts",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 90",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 96",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 91",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 96",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 96",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 89",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Abounding with driving snow or drift."
      ],
      "id": "en-drifty-en-adj-xsPIbMdj",
      "links": [
        [
          "snow",
          "snow"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dialectal) Abounding with driving snow or drift."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "drifty"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries referencing missing etymons",
    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival)",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "driftily"
    },
    {
      "word": "driftiness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "drift",
        "4": "-y<id:adjectival>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish drift\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish drifty\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-gaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-g\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-iġ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"drifty\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"drifty\">\nFrom drift + -y.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish drift\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish drifty\nFrom drift + -y.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "driftier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "driftiest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "drifty (comparative driftier, superlative driftiest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              281,
              287
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1988 November 18, Renaldo Migaldi, “Shrimp Boat”, in Chicago Reader:",
          "text": "The first time I heard them struggling with their electric instruments and singing in cracked falsettos, I imagined a line of fishing boats puttering off into the fogbound sea of a cold New England morn. \"Ah, Shrimp Boat,\" I exclaimed, \"what a fine name for sounds so churning and drifty!\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending or seeming to drift."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "drift",
          "drift"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dialectal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Abounding with driving snow or drift."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "snow",
          "snow"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dialectal) Abounding with driving snow or drift."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "drifty"
}

Download raw JSONL data for drifty meaning in English (3.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-06-07 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-06-01 using wiktextract (e79dea5 and 7f4db16). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.