Drift

Drift is the slow long term variation of an attribute or value of a system or device. Examples are the continental drift, the language drift, drift of frequency, and drift of technical parameters.

Telecommunication

In telecommunication, a drift is a comparatively long-term change in an attribute or value of a system or equipment operational parameter.

The drift should be characterized, such as "diurnal frequency drift" and "output level drift."

Drift is usually undesirable and unidirectional, but may be bidirectional, cyclic, or of such long-term duration and low excursion rate as to be negligible.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188

Linguistic

In linguistic, drift is the variation of speech. Edward Sapir gives the example "Whom did you see" which was grammatically correct, but it was replaced by "Who did you see". The common sense and the new grammatical structure required the change. "Whom" was avoided. "The woman whom you see" was replaced by "the woman you see." The drift of speech changes dialects and in long terms, it generates new languages. Although you can think, these changes have no direction, in general they have. For example, in the English language, there was the Great Vowel Shift. In future, there may be also new English dialects.

Source: "Language An Introduction to Speech", by Edward Sapir de:Drift

Mining

In mining jargon, a drift is a nearly horizontal underground tunnel, as opposed to a shaft which is a nearly vertical tunnel. If possible, drifts are driven at a slight incline so that removal of material can be assisted by gravity.

Geology

In geology, drift is rock debris transported and deposited by or from ice, especially by or from a glacier.

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