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

• 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)”; draw

Example Sentences

"This comes on top of our efforts to help more venues offer pavement drinks and put on one-off events, maintaining our cut to alcohol duty on draught pints, and capping Corporation Tax," he said.

From BBC

Raising their beds off the ground can keep older dogs away from draughts, while cats may like playing or resting in high-up dens or on climbing posts.

From BBC

"Sealing gaps and draught proofing is the number one step because it's so low cost," he said.

From BBC

A government spokesperson said pubs were "vital to local communities," adding that ministers were lowering business rates, cutting alcohol duty on draught pints, capping Corporation Tax and reforming licensing rules.

From BBC

You can put a chimney draught excluder inside any unused fireplaces, or make your own by filling a black bag with scrunched up paper.

From BBC

Related Words

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