drive
420
drive² n 1 [C] a journey in a vehicle (especially for pleasure):
They went for a drive along the coast. 2 [C] also driveway
road for vehicles that connects a private house or garage
with the street 3 [C] an act of hitting a ball, the distance a
ball is hit, or the force with which it is hit: to hit a long high
drive to the right 4 [C] a planned effort by a group for a
particular purpose; CAMPAIGN: The club is having a member-
ship drive. (=to get more members) | a big anti-smoking
drive 5 [C] an important natural human need which must
be fulfilled: Hunger, thirst, and sex are among the strongest
human drives. 6 [U] a forceful active quality of mind that
gets things done; INITIATIVE: He's clever but he won't succeed
because he lacks drive. 7 [C;U] the apparatus by which a
machine is set or kept in movement: This car has (a)
front-wheel drive. (=the engine turns the front wheels) 8 [C]
BrE a competition of the stated type, especially of a card
game: a whist drive 9 Drive used in the name of roads: They
live at 141 Park Drive. → see also DISK DRIVE
drive-a-way car /'draɪvəweɪ ˌkɑːr/ also driveaway n AmE
a car which its owner needs in another place. The owner pays
a driveaway company to move the car for him. People who
wish to travel cheaply may telephone or visit a driveaway
company and see if there is a car waiting to be delivered to
the place they want to go: I might go to LA next week if I can
get a driveaway. → compare getaway car (GETAWAY)
'drive-by adj [A] AmE (of a crime) done from a moving car: a
drive-by shooting | Drive-by murders have terrorized the city.
'drive-in adj [A] especially AmE that people can use while
remaining in their cars: a drive-in restaurant/cinema
—drive-in n: Are you coming to the drive-in tonight?
driv·el /'drɪvəl/ v -ll- BrE || -l- AmE [(ON)] to talk nonsense
—drivel n [U] Don't talk such drivel! —→ler n
driv·en /'drɪvən/ adj (of a person) full of a sense of urgency
about something; extremely MOTIVATED: He's a driven man.
driv·er /'draɪvər/ n 1 a person who drives: the driver of a
car | special insurance rates for young drivers 2 a GOLF CLUB
with a wooden head → see also SUNDAY DRIVER
,driver's edu'cation n [U] AmE a course that you usually
take at school, that teaches you how to drive a car
'driver's license n AmE for DRIVING LICENCE
'drive-through n [S] especially AmE a restaurant, bank etc
where you can buy food or do business without getting out
of your car → see colour photo on page A39
drive·time, drive time /'draɪvtam/ n [U] the time during
the morning or afternoon when many people are driving to
or from work: a morning drivetime radio show → compare
RUSH HOUR
drive·way /'draɪvwe/ n a DRIVE
driv·ing /'draɪvɪŋ/ adj [A] 1 passing on or carrying power or
force: a driving wheel 2 able to produce strong or noticeable
effects; DYNAMIC: He is the owner of the company, but his
deputy is the real driving force behind it. 3 having great
force: driving rain 4 of or about guiding and controlling
vehicles, especially cars: a driving school | a driving test 5 in
the driving seat infml in charge; in control
'driving ban n an order forbidding a person to drive: He
received a driving ban after being caught with twice the legal
amount of alcohol in his blood.
'driving licence BrE || driver's license AmE n a paper
giving official permission to drive a motor vehicle, obtained
after success in a DRIVING TEST.
CULTURAL NOTE
In most parts of the US you must be at
least 15 to learn to drive and 16 to get a driver's license.
In the UK you must be at least 17 before you can learn to
drive or get a driving licence. When you are learning to
drive in either country, you must have a special document
called a LEARNER'S PERMIT (in the US), or PROVISIONAL
LICENCE (in the UK). This document allows you to
practise driving with someone who already has a licence,
and is changed into a full licence (=one which allows you
to drive alone) when you pass your DRIVING TEST. People
in the UK usually learn to drive by having private driving
lessons. People in the US also learn by having private
lessons, but many high schools offer a course called
DRIVER'S EDUCATION. These classes teach students how
to drive and also teach them the laws about driving in
their state. In both the US and UK, you must pass a short
written test about road laws as well as a practical driving
test in order to get a full licence. In the UK, learner drivers
have to put L-PLATES (=a flat white square with a red letter
L on it) on the front and back of their car until they pass
their driving test. Some people who have just passed their
driving test fix P-PLATES (=a flat white square with a green
letter P on it) to warn other drivers to be careful, but this
is not COMPULSORY.
'driving range n an open outdoor area where people (pay to)
practise hitting GOLF balls
'driving test n the examination which one must pass before
one can have a driving licence and drive a vehicle on public
roads
,driving under the 'influence || also ,driving while
in'toxicated AmE — n [U] the crime of driving a car after
drinking too much alcohol; DRINK-DRIVING
driz·zle¹ /'drɪzəl/ v [I+I] to rain in very small drops or very
lightly → see RAIN (USAGE)
drizzle² n [S;U] (a) fine misty rain —zly adj: a drizzly day
Dr Mar·tens /ˌdɒktə 'mɑːtənzlˌdɑːktər 'mɑːrtənz/ → see
DOC MARTENS
droid /drɔɪd/ n especially AmE, humor (from SCIENCE FICTION
stories) a machine that looks like a human; someone who
seems to be a machine because he or she shows either no
thought or no emotions: That place is run by a bunch of
droids. You can't talk to anyone.
droll /drəʊl/ adj odd and amusing: a droll person/expression/
situation —drolly /'drəʊl·li/ adv —ness n [U]
droll·e·ry /'drəʊlərɪ/ n [C;U] old-fash (an example of) droll
humour
drom·e·da·ry /'drɒmədəriˈdrɑːməderi/ n a type of CAMEL
with one HUMP on its back
drone¹ /drəʊn/ v [I] to make a continuous low dull sound:
An aeroplane droned overhead.
drone on phr v [(about)] to continue to speak in an uninter-
esting way in a low dull voice: He always drones on (and on)
about his problems.
drone² n [(the) S] 1 a continuous dull low sound: the distant
drone of the traffic 2 a) a fixed deep note sounded con-
tinuously during a piece of music b) the pipe in a set of
BAGPIPES that makes a sound like this → see picture at
BAGPIPES
drone³ n 1 a male BEE 2 BrE derog a person who lives on other
people's work; PARASITE 3 AmE a dull person in a dull job
'drone plane also drone n a military plane that does not
have a pilot, but which is controlled from the ground. This
type of aircraft can carry cameras and is used for SPYING or
RECONNAISSANCE. Drone planes can also carry weapons and
be used to attack an enemy. The formal name for a drone
plane is Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
dron·go /'drɒŋɡə l'drɑːŋ-/ n pl. -goes especially AustrE, infml a
stupid or worthless person
drool /druːl/ v [I] derog 1 to let the natural liquid (SALIVA) flow
from the mouth, especially because of a pleasant sight or
smell: At the sight of the food the dog started drooling. 2 AmE
|| dribble BrE — (of a baby) to let saliva flow out slowly from
the mouth 3 [(over)] to show enjoyment or admiration in a
foolish or unpleasant way: The boys were all drooling over a
picture of a girl in a bikini. → compare SLOBBER
droop /druːp/ v [I] 1 to hang or bend downwards: His
shoulders drooped with tiredness. | The flowers in the vase
drooped in the hot room. | a tree with drooping branches 2 to
become sad or weakened; LANGUISH: Our spirits drooped.
—droop n [(the) S] the droop of his shoulders
drop¹ /drɒp|drɑːp/ v -pp- 1 [I;T] to fall or let fall, especially
unintentionally, unexpectedly, or suddenly: She dropped her
glasses and broke them. | I dropped the box on my foot. | The
fruit dropped (down) from the tree. | Your button has dropped
off! | (fig.) She dropped into a deep sleep. | (fig.) They worked
until they dropped. (=until they were completely tired) | (fig.)
Her face dropped (=she looked shocked or disappointed)
when she saw the bill. 2 [I;T] to (cause to) fall to a lower level
or amount: The price of oil has dropped sharply/dropped to
$12 a barrel. | He dropped his voice to a whisper. | The motorist