Definition Definition

drive - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'drive' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Drive [ n.]
- The act of driving; a trip or an excursion in a carriage, as for exercise or pleasure; -- distinguished from a ride taken on horseback.
- A place suitable or agreeable for driving; a road prepared for driving.
- Violent or rapid motion; a rushing onward or away; esp., a forced or hurried dispatch of business.
- In type founding and forging, an impression or matrix, formed by a punch drift.
- A collection of objects that are driven; a mass of logs to be floated down a river.
2 . Drive [ p. p.]
- Driven.
3 . Drive [ v. i.]
- To rush and press with violence; to move furiously.
- To be forced along; to be impelled; to be moved by any physical force or agent; to be driven.
- To go by carriage; to pass in a carriage; to proceed by directing or urging on a vehicle or the animals that draw it; as, the coachman drove to my door.
- To press forward; to aim, or tend, to a point; to make an effort; to strive; -- usually with at.
- To distrain for rent.
4 . Drive [ v. t.]
- To impel or urge onward by force in a direction away from one, or along before one; to push forward; to compel to move on; to communicate motion to; as, to drive cattle; to drive a nail; smoke drives persons from a room.
- To urge on and direct the motions of, as the beasts which draw a vehicle, or the vehicle borne by them; hence, also, to take in a carriage; to convey in a vehicle drawn by beasts; as, to drive a pair of horses or a stage; to drive a person to his own door.
- To urge, impel, or hurry forward; to force; to constrain; to urge, press, or bring to a point or state; as, to drive a person by necessity, by persuasion, by force of circumstances, by argument, and the like.
- To carry or; to keep in motion; to conduct; to prosecute.
- To clear, by forcing away what is contained.
- To dig Horizontally; to cut a horizontal gallery or tunnel.
- To pass away; -- said of time.

Meaning of 'drive' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . drive [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a mechanism by which force or power is transmitted in a machine
Example in sentence:
  • a variable speed drive permitted operation through a range of speeds
Meaning (2):
- the act of applying force to propel something
Example in sentence:
  • after reaching the desired velocity the drive is cut off
Meaning (3):
- a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
Example in sentence:
  • contributed to the war effort;
  • he supported populist campaigns;
  • the movement to end slavery;
  • the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant;
  • they worked in the cause of world peace
Meaning (4):
- hitting a golf ball off of a tee with a driver
Example in sentence:
  • he sliced his drive out of bounds
Meaning (5):
- a journey in a vehicle (usually an automobile)
Example in sentence:
  • he took the family for a drive in his new car
Meaning (6):
- the trait of being highly motivated
Example in sentence:
  • his drive and energy exhausted his co-workers
Meaning (7):
- a wide scenic road planted with trees
Example in sentence:
  • the riverside drive offers many exciting scenic views
Meaning (8):
- a road leading up to a private house
Example in sentence:
  • they parked in the driveway
9 . drive [ v]
Meaning (9):
- cause to move back by force or influence
Example in sentence:
  • beat back the invaders;
  • push back the urge to smoke;
  • repel the enemy
Meaning (10):
- operate or control a vehicle
Example in sentence:
  • Can you drive this four-wheel truck?;
  • drive a car or bus
Meaning (11):
- hit very hard, as by swinging a bat horizontally
Example in sentence:
  • drive a ball
Meaning (12):
- strike with a driver, as in teeing off
Example in sentence:
  • drive a golf ball
Meaning (13):
- push, propel, or press with force
Example in sentence:
  • Drive a nail into the wall
Meaning (14):
- excavate horizontally
Example in sentence:
  • drive a tunnel
Meaning (15):
- cause to move rapidly by striking or throwing with force
Example in sentence:
  • drive the ball far out into the field
Meaning (16):
- urge forward
Example in sentence:
  • drive the cows into the barn
Meaning (17):
- (hunting) search for game
Example in sentence:
  • drive the forest
Meaning (18):
- (hunting) chase from cover into more open ground
Example in sentence:
  • drive the game
Meaning (19):
- work as a driver
Example in sentence:
  • He drives a bread truck;
  • She drives for the taxi company in Newark
Meaning (20):
- force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically
Example in sentence:
  • He drives me mad;
  • She rammed her mind into focus
Meaning (21):
- have certain properties when driven
Example in sentence:
  • My new truck drives well;
  • This car rides smoothly
Meaning (22):
- cause someone or something to move by driving
Example in sentence:
  • She drove me to school every day;
  • We drove the car to the garage
Meaning (23):
- compel somebody to do something, often against his own will or judgment
Example in sentence:
  • She finally drove him to change jobs
Meaning (24):
- to compel or force or urge relentlessly or exert coercive pressure on, or motivate strongly
Example in sentence:
  • She is driven by her passion
Meaning (25):
- strive and make an effort to reach a goal
Example in sentence:
  • She is driving away at her doctoral thesis;
  • She tugged for years to make a decent living;
  • We have to push a little to make the deadline!
Meaning (26):
- cause to function by supplying the force or power for or by controlling
Example in sentence:
  • steam drives the engines;
  • The amplifier drives the tube;
  • this device drives the disks for the computer
Meaning (27):
- move by being propelled by a force
Example in sentence:
  • The car drove around the corner
Meaning (28):
- travel or be transported in a vehicle
Example in sentence:
  • They motored to London for the theater;
  • We drove to the university every morning
Meaning (29):
- proceed along in a vehicle
Example in sentence:
  • We drive the turnpike to work
Meaning (30):
- move into a desired direction of discourse
Example in sentence:
  • What are you driving at?