drifter

noun

1. (derogatory, sometimes)A person who moves from place to place or job to job.

   “There are drifters painting beside you / They don't see the future that I do”

2. A type of lightweight sail used in light winds like a spinnaker.

   “In winds above 10 knots we usually run wing-and-wing with our 100 percent lapper set on a whisker pole opposite the mainsail. As the wind drops, we get out the drifter and set it flying to leeward (Fig. 1).”

   “After trying a variety of light-wind sails, we've found the most versatile and simple one to be a nylon drifter.”

   “Some people recommend a medium- to lightweight 140- or 150-percent headsail, and others go for a drifter/reacher.”

3. A driver who uses driving techniques to modify vehicle traction to cause a vehicle to slide or power slide rather than drive in line with the tires.

   “However, sensing the available traction may actually be more important to a drifter.”

   “For professional drifters looking for even more fine-tuning of their suspension setups, some companies offer more advanced two-way adjustable shocks […]”

   “While this method is used by a few drifters in rear-wheel drive cars, this technique is really the only way one can drift in a front-wheel drive car.”

4. A parachutist who jumps before the rest of the group to determine wind direction.

   “As we circled the area, the Dakota appeared and dropped a drifter.”

   “[…] a circling Beverley dropped parachutists in small groups — a few hard words were said about R.A.F. organisation. The time came at last for the first four to get into the balloon car. First out was a drifter — an experienced parachutist who jumps first to assess conditions by allowing himself to drift at random.”

5. (historical)A person employed in driving in rock other than coal.
6. One who takes part in drift fishing.
7. A boat used for drift fishing.