# drifter

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdɹɪftə/ · frequency rank #35,696

## Definitions
1. A person who moves from place to place or job to job.
2. A type of lightweight sail used in light winds like a spinnaker.
3. A driver who uses driving techniques to modify vehicle traction to cause a vehicle to slide or power slide rather than drive in line with the tires.
4. A parachutist who jumps before the rest of the group to determine wind direction.
5. A person employed in driving in rock other than coal.

## Etymology
From drift (verb) + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **driver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drifter-vs-driver)
- **drifts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drifter-vs-drifts)
- **drinker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drifter-vs-drinker)
- **drift** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drift-vs-drifter)
- **drier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drier-vs-drifter)
- **differ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/differ-vs-drifter)
- **dieter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dieter-vs-drifter)
- **drafted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drafted-vs-drifter)
- **drifted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drifted-vs-drifter)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ddrifter`, `dirfter`, `drfiter`, `drifetr`, `driffter`, `drifterr`, `driftre`, `driftter`, `dritfer`, `drrifter`, `rdifter`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/drifter