drive

Pronunciation: /drʌɪv/

Definition of drive

1 [no object, usually with adverbial of direction] operate and control the direction and speed of a motor vehicle:he got into his car and drove off they drove back into town
(of a motor vehicle) travel under the control of a driver:a car drives up, and a man gets out a stream of black cars drove by
[with object] own or use (a specified type of car):Sue drives an estate car
[no object] be licensed or competent to drive a motor vehicle:I take it you can drive?
[with object] convey (someone) in a vehicle, especially a private car:his wife drove him to Regent’s Park

2 [with object and adverbial of direction] propel or carry along by force in a specified direction:the wind will drive you onshore
[no object] (of wind, rain, or snow) move or fall with great force:the snow drove against him
[with object] (of a source of power) provide the energy to set and keep (an engine or piece of machinery) in motion:turbines driven by steam
[with object] Electronics (of a device) power or operate (another device):the interface can be used to drive a printer
[with object] force (a stake or nail) into place by hitting or pushing it:nails are driven through the boards
[with object and adverbial] bore (a tunnel): an engineer suggested driving a tunnel through the Judean hills
[with object] (in ball games) hit or kick (the ball) hard with a free swing of the bat, racket, or foot: from the free kick Owen drove the ball past the keeper
[with object] Golf strike (a ball) from the tee, typically with a driver: I’m driving the ball really well and my irons are good

3 [with object and adverbial of direction] urge or force (animals or people) to move in a specified direction:they drove a flock of sheep through the centre of the city the French infantry were driven back
compel to leave:troops drove out the demonstrators he wanted to drive me away

4 [with object] (of a fact or feeling) compel (someone) to act in a particular way, especially one that is considered undesirable or inappropriate:he was driven by ambition [with object and infinitive]:some people are driven to murder their tormentors
[with object] bring (someone) forcibly into a specified negative state:the thought drove him to despair [with object and complement]:my laziness drives my wife crazy
[with object] force (someone) to work to an excessive extent:you’re driving yourself too hard
cause (something abstract) to happen or develop:the consumer has been driving the economy for a number of years we need to allow market forces to drive growth in the telecommunications sector

1a trip or journey in a car:they went for a drive in the country
[in names] a street or road:Hammond Drive
(also driveway) a short road leading from a public road to a house or other building: from the window he could see right down the weedy drive to the front gate

2 Psychology an innate, biologically determined urge to attain a goal or satisfy a need:her emotional and sexual drives
[mass noun] determination and ambition to achieve something:his drive helped Leeds to four Cup finals

3an organized effort by a number of people to achieve a purpose:a recruitment drive by the police
British an organized gathering to play whist or another game, involving many players:a whist drive

4 [mass noun] the transmission of power to machinery or to the wheels of a motor vehicle: he experimented with chain drive to run the propeller
(in a car with automatic transmission) the position of the gear selector in which the car will move forward, changing gears automatically as required:he threw the car into drive
[count noun] Computingshort for disk drive.insert the disk into drive A

5(in ball games) a forceful stroke made with a free swing of the bat, racket, or foot against the ball: a hard drive to left field
Golf a shot from the tee: Greg hit a good drive at the 18th

6an act of driving a group of animals to a particular destination: cattle were no longer taken on long drives, but were delivered by rail

Phrases

drive something home: see home.
drive a nail into the coffin of: severely harm (something that is already in a poor state):companies will be pushed to the brink, driving another nail in the coffin of British manufacturing
let drive: attack with blows, missiles, or criticism: I let drive with all the most forceful arguments I could lay my tongue to
what someone is driving at: the point that someone is attempting to make:I don’t understand what you’re driving at

Old English drīfan 'urge (a person or animal) to go forward', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch drijven and German treiben

Definition of drive in the US English dictionary