Showing Results for "draught"

See Also:

• a variation of draft.

draught

American  

[draft, drahft] / dræft, drɑft /

noun

1. (used with a singular verb) draughts, the game of checkers.

2. Chiefly British. draft.

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verb (used with object)

1. Chiefly British. draft.

verb (used without object)

1. Chiefly British. draft.

adjective

1. Chiefly British. draft.

draught British  

/ drɑːft /

noun

1. a current of air, esp one intruding into an enclosed space

2. 1. the act of pulling a load, as by a vehicle or animal

   2. ( as modifier )

      a draught horse

3. the load or quantity drawn

4. a portion of liquid to be drunk, esp a dose of medicine

5. the act or an instance of drinking; a gulp or swallow

6. the act or process of drawing air, smoke, etc, into the lungs

7. the amount of air, smoke, etc, inhaled in one breath

8. 1. beer, wine, etc, stored in bulk, esp in a cask, as opposed to being bottled

   2. ( as modifier )

      draught beer

   3. drawn from a cask or keg

9. US and Canadian equivalent: checker.  Also called: draughtsman.  any one of the 12 flat thick discs used by each player in the game of draughts

10. the depth of a loaded vessel in the water, taken from the level of the waterline to the lowest point of the hull

11. to be short of money

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Pronunciation

Draught is a variant spelling of draft and is normally pronounced the same way, as or or with a vowel somewhere between and . A pronunciation is sometimes heard for draught, perhaps because -aught is frequently pronounced elsewhere, as in caught and taught.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• draughter
  noun
• underdraught
  noun

Etymology

Origin of draught

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English draht (cognate with Dutch dracht, German Tracht, Old Norse drāttr ); akin to Old English dragan “to plug, drag, draw,” drōht “a pull (at the oars)”; see draw

Explanation

If you're chilly, you might close a window that's letting in a draught. Draught is the British spelling of the word draft. The noun draught is pronounced exactly like draft, and it also shares most of the same meanings. A cold burst of wind, a swig or a serving of a drink, the act of pulling a heavy load, and the depth of a ship below the surface of the water: each of these can be called a draught. It's easy to confuse the British draught with drought, which means "a shortage of rainfall" and rhymes with "out."

Example Sentences

In that spirit, “O Fortuna” was used in a huge variety of commercials — from Old Spice to Carlton Draught beer — not to mention multiple times in “The Simpsons.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2025

It gives the horses, bred from Irish Draught stock, experience of a coastal environment and builds trust between horse and rider.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2022

“If even 1 in 1000 guests did this we’d all be better,” responded the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in Houston.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2022

Slade Wright, a manager at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in the River Market District, said business was down May 25 and May 26 compared with a typical weekend.

From Washington Times • Jun. 10, 2018

“I couldn’t say, I’m sure, sir. There was no name on the bottle. Just ‘The Sleeping Draught to be taken at bedtime.’”

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

Related Words

• application
• dosage
• lot
• measure
• measurement
• prescription
• quantity
• shot