A drifter is a person who moves from place to place without settling down or making a permanent home anywhere. Drifters might work odd jobs for a while in one town, then move on to another, never staying long enough to put down roots or form lasting connections.

The word often describes someone wandering without much purpose or plan, like a tumbleweed blown across an empty landscape. In old Western movies, a mysterious drifter might ride into town on horseback, stay just long enough to help solve a problem, then ride off into the sunset. In real life, someone might become a drifter after losing their home or job, or because they prefer not being tied down to one place.

The word can also describe something that floats or moves slowly without direction. A piece of driftwood is wood that has drifted through water, eventually washing up on shore. When snow drifts, it piles up where the wind pushes it.