draft

Meaning

Noun

1. (US, countable, uncountable) A current of air, usually coming into a room or vehicle.
2. (US, countable, uncountable) The draw through a flue of gasses or smoke resulting from a combustion process.
3. (US, countable, uncountable) An act of drinking.
4. (US, countable, uncountable) The quantity of liquid (such as water, alcohol, or medicine) drunk in one swallow.
5. (US, countable, uncountable) A dose (of medicine, alcohol, etc.).
6. (US, countable, uncountable) Liquid, especially beer or other alcohol, drawn from a cask or keg rather than a bottle or can.
7. (US, countable, uncountable) The depth of water needed to float a particular ship; the depth from the waterline to the bottom of a vessel's hull; the depth of water drawn by a vessel.
8. (countable, uncountable) A version of a written work (such as a book or paper) or drawing.
9. (countable, uncountable) An unsent e-mail.
10. (countable, uncountable) A preliminary sketch or outline for a plan.
11. (archaic, countable, uncountable) An order for money to be paid; the document that states it: a cheque, note, bond, bill of exchange, money order, or IOU.
12. (Canada, US, countable, uncountable, usually) Conscription; the system of forcing people to serve in the military.
13. (countable, uncountable) A person who has been drafted; a conscript or draftee.
14. (US, countable, uncountable) A system of forcing or convincing people to take an elected position.
15. (US, countable, uncountable) A system of assigning rookie players to professional sports teams.
16. (countable, uncountable) A style of play in collectible card games, where players select from a shared pool of cards.
17. (British, English, archaic, countable, possibly, uncountable) A quantity that is requisitioned or drawn out from a larger population.
18. (US, countable, uncountable) The pulling force (tension) on couplers and draft gear during a slack (stretched) condition.
19. (countable, uncountable) The bevel given to the pattern for a casting, so that it can be drawn from the sand without damaging the mould.
20. (US, archaic, countable, possibly, uncountable) The action or an act (especially of a beast of burden or vehicle) of pulling something along or back.
21. (US, archaic, countable, possibly, uncountable) The act of drawing in a net for fish.
22. (US, archaic, countable, possibly, uncountable) That which is drawn in; a catch; a haul.
23. (Appalachia, countable, uncountable) A small stream or tributary.
24. (Appalachia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West, countable, especially, uncountable) A ravine or narrow valley, especially one through which a stream (at least intermittently) flows.

Verb

1. (transitive) To write a first version; to make a preliminary sketch.
2. To draw in outline; to make a draught, sketch, or plan of, as in architectural and mechanical drawing.
3. To write a law.
4. To select (someone or something) for a particular role or purpose.
5. (US, transitive) To select (someone or something) for a particular role or purpose.
6. To select (someone or something) for a particular role or purpose.
7. (US, transitive) To select (someone or something) for a particular role or purpose.
8. (ambitransitive) To follow very closely (behind another vehicle), thereby providing an aerodynamic advantage to both lead and follower and conserving energy or increasing speed.
9. To draw out; to call forth.
10. To draw fibers out of a clump, for spinning in the production of yarn.
11. To play a collectible card game by selecting from a shared pool of cards.

Adj

1. (US, not-comparable) Referring to drinks on tap, in contrast to bottled.
2. (US, not-comparable) Referring to animals used for pulling heavy loads.

Synonyms

draught

sketch

conscription

outline

blueprint

design

draught

plan

conscript

draw

rough copy

manuscript

bill of exchange

call up

cheque

chart

💹

bill

draw up

project

levy

gulp

drawing

drag

plot

current of air

muster

call-up

money order

breath

draft copy

scheme

wind

minute

induction

layout

rough drawing

sip

enlist

selective service

traction

promissory note

rough draft

potation

check

print

order

original text

delineation

delineate

call out

Translations

brouillon

Entwurf

borrador

gorgée

ébauche

tratta

Skizze

schizzo

abbozzo

bozza

abbozzare

ébaucher

Konzept

rédiger

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɹɑːft/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: draught

Inherited from Old English: *dreaht

Cognate with Dutch: dracht

Cognate with German: Tracht

Cognate with Icelandic: dráttur

In summary

A phonetic spelling of draught (compare laughter), from Middle English draught, draght (“that which is pulled; that which is drawn up, a design”), from Old English *dreaht, *dræht, from Proto-West Germanic *drahti, *drahtu, from Proto-Germanic *drahtuz (“a pulling, drawing”), equivalent to draw + -t. Cognate with Dutch dracht, German Tracht, Icelandic dráttur.