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Definition of drive noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

drive

noun
 
/draɪv/
 
/draɪv/
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    in/of vehicle

  1. [countable] a journey in a car or other vehicle
    • Let's go for a drive.
    • a drive through the mountains
    • It's a three-hour drive to London.
    Extra Examples
    • It's one of the most scenic drives in Europe.
    • He was tired after the long drive home.
    • The lakes are only a short drive away.
    • She offered to take me for a drive later in the day.
    • It's a pleasant drive to the coast.
    • All my family live within an hour's drive.
    Topics Transport by car or lorrya2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • long
    • easy
    • short
    verb + drive
    • go for
    • take
    drive + noun
    • time
    preposition
    • within a drive
    phrases
    • a… drive away
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable] power from the engine of a vehicle that is transferred to the wheels
    • Both models feature an electric motor that sends drive to the rear wheels.
    see also belt drive, four-wheel drive, left-hand drive, right-hand drive
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • all-wheel
    • four-wheel
    • front-wheel
    See full entry
  3. [uncountable] the position of the gears in a car with automatic transmission (= a system that changes the gears by itself so the driver does not have to) in which they are unlocked so that the engine can send power to the wheels
    • He jumped in, put the car in drive and set off.
    compare park (6)Topics Transport by car or lorryc1
  4. outside house

  5. (also driveway)
    [countable] a wide hard path or a private road that leads from the street to a house
    • in/on the drive There were two cars parked in the drive.
    Extra Examples
    • He walked up the front drive of the vicarage.
    • A number of police cars blocked the drive.
    • He pulled into a long drive leading up to a large villa.
    Topics Transport by car or lorryb2, Buildingsb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • winding
    • gravel
    • tree-lined
    drive + verb
    • lead to
    • lead up to
    drive + noun
    • block
    preposition
    • down the drive
    • in the drive
    • on the drive
    See full entry
  6. effort

  7. [countable] an organized effort by a group of people to achieve something
    • The company is launching a big recruitment drive.
    • an export/economy drive
    • drive for something a drive for greater efficiency
    • drive to do something the government’s drive to reduce energy consumption
    see also blood drive
    Synonyms campaigncampaignbattle struggle drive war fightThese are all words for an effort made to achieve or prevent something.campaign a series of planned activities that are intended to achieve a particular social, commercial or political aim:
    • the campaign for parliamentary reform
    • an advertising campaign
    battle a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control:
    • She finally won the legal battle for compensation.
    • the endless battle between man and nature
    struggle a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control:
    • the struggle for independence
    • the struggle between good and evil
    battle or struggle?A struggle is always about things that seem absolutely necessary, such as life and death or freedom. A battle can also be about things that are not absolutely necessary, just desirable, or about the pleasure of winning: the battle/​struggle between good and evila legal struggle for compensationa struggle of wills/​wits. drive an organized effort by a group of people to achieve something:
    • the drive for greater efficiency
    • a drive to reduce energy consumption
    campaign or drive?A campaign is usually aimed at getting other people to do something; a drive may be an attempt by people to get themselves to do something: From today, we’re going on an economy drive (= we must spend less). A campaign may be larger, more formal and more organized than a drive.war [sing.] an effort over a long period of time to get rid of or stop something bad:
    • the war against crime
    fight [sing.] the work of trying to stop or prevent something bad or achieve something good; an act of competing, especially in a sport:
    • Workers won their fight to stop compulsory redundancies.
    war or fight?A war is about stopping things, like drugs and crime, that everyone agrees are bad. A fight can be about achieving justice for yourself.Patterns
    • a campaign/​battle/​struggle/​drive/​war/​fight against something
    • a campaign/​battle/​struggle/​drive/​fight for something
    • a one-man/​one-woman/​personal campaign/​battle/​struggle/​war
    • a bitter campaign/​battle/​struggle/​drive/​war/​fight
    • to launch/​embark on a campaign/​battle/​drive
    • to lead/​continue the campaign/​battle/​struggle/​drive/​fight
    • to win/​lose a battle/​struggle/​war/​fight
    Extra Examples
    • a drive against corruption
    • the country's drive for modernization
    • a drive towards higher safety standards
    • The Popular Front spearheaded the drive for independence.
    • We organized a food drive for the city's homeless shelters.
    • From today, we're going on an economy drive.
    Topics Successc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • big
    • relentless
    • national
    verb + drive
    • launch
    • organize
    • spearhead
    preposition
    • drive against
    • drive by
    • drive for
    See full entry
  8. desire/energy

  9. [countable, uncountable] a strong desire or need in people
    • The treatment should not affect your sex drive or fertility.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • basic
    • innate
    • inner
    See full entry
  10. [uncountable] (approving) a strong desire to do things and achieve something; great energy
    • He'll do very well—he has tremendous drive.
    Extra Examples
    • We have this insatiable drive to be successful in the markets we serve.
    • He lacks the competitive drive needed to succeed.
    • You need to inject more narrative drive into the story.
    Topics Successc1, Personal qualitiesc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • competitive
    • personal
    • narrative
    verb + drive
    • have
    • lack
    See full entry
  11. in sport

  12. [countable] a long hard hit or kick
    • She has a strong forehand drive (= in tennis).
    • He scored with a brilliant 25-yard drive.
    • He hit a line drive straight at me.
    • Cole scored with a thunderous left-foot drive.
    Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • powerful
    • strong
    • thunderous
    verb + drive
    • hit
    • hook
    • slice
    See full entry
  13. computing

  14. [countable] a type of computer storage that stores large amounts of data on a spinning (= turning) disk
    • a CD drive
    see also disk driveTopics Computersc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • CD-ROM
    • disk
    • DVD
    verb + drive
    • format
    • reformat
    • defrag
    drive + noun
    • bay
    See full entry
  15. games

  16. [countable] (British English) a social occasion when a lot of people compete in a game such as whist or bingo
  17. animals/enemy

  18. [countable] an act of going after animals or the enemy and making them go into a smaller area, especially in order to kill or capture them
  19. road

  20. Drive
    (abbreviation Dr)
    used in the names of roads
    • 21 Island Heights Drive
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • winding
    • gravel
    • tree-lined
    drive + verb
    • lead to
    • lead up to
    drive + noun
    • block
    preposition
    • down the drive
    • in the drive
    • on the drive
    See full entry
  21. Word OriginOld English drīfan ‘urge (a person or animal) to go forward’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch drijven and German treiben.
See drive in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee drive in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
aspiration
noun
 
 
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