1. a person who moves from place to place without a permanent home or steady job
2. a fishing boat that uses drift nets
Usage: nautical

Examples

• The old drifter had traveled across the country working odd jobs.
• She lived like a drifter, never staying in one town for more than a few months.
• The small coastal village was home to several fishing drifters.
• After losing his job, he became a drifter moving from city to city.
• The drifter carried all his possessions in a worn backpack.
• Local fishermen used their drifters to catch herring in the bay.