People who move from place to place without a permanent home or steady job, often traveling aimlessly.
From 'drift' (to move slowly without direction) plus '-er' (one who does something). Emerged as a term in the late 19th century to describe vagrants and traveling workers.
The romanticized image of drifters in American culture—from Kerouac's novels to folk songs—contrasts sharply with the reality that many drifters are homeless people facing poverty, revealing how storytelling shapes our view of difficult realities.
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