drive

Where “drive” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   To operate a vehicle:
2. 2
   To operate a vehicle:
3. 3
   To operate a vehicle:
4. 4
   To operate a vehicle:
5. 5
   To operate a vehicle:
6. 6
   To compel to move:
7. 7
   To compel to move:
8. 8
   To cause to move by the application of physical force:
9. 9
   To cause to move by the application of physical force:
10. 10
    To cause to move by the application of physical force:
11. 11
    To cause to move by the application of physical force:
12. 12
    To displace either physically or non-physically, through the application of force.
13. 13
    To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
14. 14
    To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
15. 15
    To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
16. 16
    To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
17. 17
    To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
18. 18
    To compel to undergo a non-physical change:
19. 19
    To move forcefully.
20. 20
    To be moved or propelled forcefully (especially of a ship).
21. 21
    To carry or to keep in motion; to conduct; to prosecute.
22. 22
    To clear, by forcing away what is contained.
23. 23
    To dig horizontally; to cut a horizontal gallery or tunnel.
24. 24
    To put together a drive (n.): to string together offensive plays and advance the ball down the field.
25. 25
    To distrain for rent.
26. 26
    To be the dominant party in a sex act.

Etymology

From Middle English driven, from Old English drīfan (“to drive, force, move”), from Proto-West Germanic *drīban, from Proto-Germanic *drībaną (“to drive”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- (“to drive, push”). Cognates Cognate with Scots drive (“to drive”), Yola dhreeve, dhrive, dreeve, drieve, drive (“to drive”), North Frisian driiv, driiw, driwe (“to drive”), West Frisian driuwe (“to drive; to float”), Alemannic German triibe (“to drive”), Dutch drijven (“to drive, push”), German treiben (“to drive, push, propel”), Low German drieven (“to drive, drift, push”), Luxembourgish dreiwen (“to drive, propel”), Yiddish טרײַבן (traybn, “to drive”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål drive (“to drive, propel”), Icelandic drífa (“to drive”), Norwegian Nynorsk driva, drive (“to drive, move; to propel; to run”), Swedish driva (“to drive, compel; to drift; to run”), Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (dreiban, “to drive”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddrive,dirve,driev,drivve,drrive,drvie,rdive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of drive - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Frequently Asked Questions