draft

[ draft, drahft ]

/ dræft, drɑft /

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See synonyms for: draft / drafted / drafting on Thesaurus.com

noun

a drawing, sketch, or design.

a first or preliminary form of any writing, subject to revision, copying, etc.

the act of drawing; delineation.

a current of air in any enclosed space, especially in a room, chimney, or stove.

a current of air moving in an upward or downward direction.

a device for regulating the current of air in a stove, fireplace, etc.

an act of drawing or pulling loads.

something that is drawn or pulled; a haul.

an animal or team of animals used to pull a load.

the force required to pull a load.

the taking of supplies, forces, money, etc., from a given source.

a selection or drawing of persons, by lot or otherwise, from the general body of the people for military service; levy; conscription.

the persons so selected.

Sports. a selecting or drawing of new players from a choice group of amateur players by professional teams, especially a system of selecting new players so that each team in a professional league receives some of the most promising players.

British. a selection of persons already in military service to be sent from one post or organization to another; detachment.

a written order drawn by one person upon another; a writing directing the payment of money on account of the drawer; bill of exchange.

a drain or demand made on anything.

draft beer.

an act of drinking or inhaling.

something that is taken in by drinking or inhaling; a drink; dose.

a quantity of fish caught.

Nautical. the depth to which a vessel is immersed when bearing a given load.

Also called leave. Metallurgy. the slight taper given to a pattern so that it may be drawn from the sand without injury to the mold.

Metalworking.

the change in sectional area of a piece of work caused by a rolling or drawing operation.
a taper on a die or punch permitting it to be withdrawn readily from the work.

Masonry. a line or border chiseled at the edge of a stone, to serve as a guide in leveling the surfaces.

Textiles.

the degree of attenuation produced in fibers during yarn processing, expressed either by the ratio of the weight of raw fiber to the weight of processed fiber, or by the ratio between the varying surface speeds of the rollers on the carding machine.
the act of attenuating the fibers.

an allowance granted to a buyer for waste of goods sold by weight.

verb (used with object)

to draw the outlines or plan of; sketch.

to draw up in written form; compose.

to draw or pull.

to take or select by draft, especially for military service.

Masonry. to cut a draft on.

verb (used without object)

to do mechanical drawing; work as a draftsman.

(in a race) to drive or ride close behind another car or bicycle so as to benefit from the reduction in air pressure created behind it.

adjective

used or suited for drawing loads: These oxen are fine draft animals.

drawn or available to be drawn from a cask rather than served from a sealed bottle: draft ale.

being a tentative or preliminary outline, version, design, or sketch.

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Idioms about draft

on draft, available to be drawn from a cask rather than from a sealed bottle: imported beer on draft.

Also especially British, draught

[draft, drahft] /dræft, drɑft/ (for defs. 1, 3-10, 18-25, 28-33, 35-38) .

Origin of draft

Later spelling of draught (since 16th century)

OTHER WORDS FROM draft

draft·a·ble, adjectivedraft·er, nounan·ti·draft, adjectivepre·draft, noun, verb (used with object)

re·draft, verb (used with object)un·draft·a·ble, adjectiveun·draft·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH draft

draft , draught

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for draft

draft

/ (drɑːft) /

noun

a plan, sketch, or drawing of something

a preliminary outline of a book, speech, etc

another word for bill of exchange

a demand or drain on something

the divergent duct leading from a water turbine to its tailrace

US selection for compulsory military service

detachment of military personnel from one unit to another

commerce an allowance on merchandise sold by weight

a line or narrow border that is chiselled on the surface of a stone to serve as a guide for levelling it

Australian and NZ a group of livestock separated from the rest of the herd or flock

verb (tr)

to draw up an outline or sketch for somethingto draft a speech

to prepare a plan or design of

to detach (military personnel) from one unit to another

mainly US to select for compulsory military service

to chisel a draft on (stone, etc)

Australian and NZ

to select (cattle or sheep) from a herd or flock
to select (farm stock) for sale

noun, verb

the usual US spelling of draught (def. 1), draught (def. 2), draught (def. 3), draught (def. 4), draught (def. 5), draught (def. 6), draught (def. 7), draught (def. 8), draught (def. 11)

Derived forms of draft

drafter, noun

Word Origin for draft

C16: variant of draught

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for draft (1 of 2)

draft

A preliminary version of a book, speech, essay, or outline.

Cultural definitions for draft (2 of 2)

draft

A system for selecting young men for compulsory military service, administered in the United States by the Selective Service System. At present the United States relies on a volunteer military and does not have a draft, though young men are required by law to register with the Selective Service. (See also conscientious objector and draft dodger.)

draft

Idioms about draft

Origin of draft

OTHER WORDS FROM draft

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH draft

Words related to draft

British Dictionary definitions for draft

Derived forms of draft

Word Origin for draft

Cultural definitions for draft (1 of 2)

Cultural definitions for draft (2 of 2)