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)”; 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

The vessels have a deeper draught - the amount of hull below the waterline - than most CalMac ships, allowing for a sleeker, more fuel efficient shape.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

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 • Nov. 25, 2025

He explained a strong draught in the boulder filled passage at the end of the original network of caves had inspired him to delve deeper.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

Last year, the British Beer and Pub Association revealed that landlords make 12p profit per pint, with the average price of a pint of draught lager costing £4.79, according to the Office for National Statistics.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025

The climb had made him sweat, but now he felt cold and clammy, and there was a chill draught in the dark passage, blowing down from the invisible heights above.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Related Words

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