draught

[ draft, drahft ]

/ dræft, drɑft /

noun

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

Chiefly British. draft(defs 1, 3–10, 18–25, 38).

verb (used with object)

Chiefly British. draft(defs 28–32).

verb (used without object)

Chiefly British. draft(def 33).

adjective

Chiefly British. draft(defs 35–37).

Words related to draught

elixir, wisp, whiff, suction, hint, fume, odor, aroma, breath, puff, scent, gust, air, gale, breeze, cyclone, blast, mug, drink, bowl

Words nearby draught

drastic, drat, dratted, draught, draughtboard, draught, draughtsman, draughty, drava, drave, dravida

Origin of draught

1150–1200; Middle English draht (cognate with Dutch dracht, German Tracht, Old Norse drāttr); akin to Old English dragan to draw, drōht a pull (at the oars)

OTHER WORDS FROM draught

draught·er, nounun·der·draught, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH draught

draft draught drought (see pronunciation note at the current entry)

pronunciation note for draught

Draught is a variant spelling of draft and is normally pronounced the same way, as

[draft] /dræft/ or

[drahft] /drɑft/ or with a vowel somewhere between

[a] /æ/ and

[ah] /ɑ/. A pronunciation

[drawt] /drɔt/ is sometimes heard for draught, perhaps because -aught is frequently pronounced

[-awt] /-ɔt/ elsewhere, as in caught and taught.

Definition for draughts (2 of 3)

checker¹

[ chek-er ]

/ ˈtʃɛk ər /

noun

a small, usually red or black disk of plastic or wood, used in playing checkers.

checkers,

Also called, British, draughts.(used with a singular verb) a game played by two persons, each with 12 playing pieces, on a checkerboard.
(in a regenerative furnace) loosely stacked brickwork through which furnace gases and incoming air are passed in turn, so that the heat of the exhaust is absorbed and later transferred to the incoming air.

a checkered pattern.

one of the squares of a checkered pattern.

verb (used with object)

to mark like a checkerboard.

to diversify in color; variegate.

to diversify in character; subject to alternations: Sorrow and joy have checkered his life.

Also British, che·quer.

Origin of checker

1250–1300; Middle English checker chessboard < Anglo-French escheker (by aphesis), equivalent to eschec check¹ + -er -er²

Definition for draughts (3 of 3)

draft

[ draft, drahft ]

/ dræft, drɑft /

noun

a drawing, sketch, or design.

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

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 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 an automobile race) to drive or ride close behind another car so as to benefit from the reduction in air pressure created behind the car ahead.

adjective

used or suited for drawing loads: a draft horse.

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.

Also especially British, draught (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. 2019

Examples from the Web for draughts

His sons rejoice that "His draughts no sensuall waters ever stain'd."
Francis Beaumont: Dramatist|Charles Mills Gayley
Be not surprised that the sea of Scandals is wellnigh drunk up by the draughts I have taken of it.
Letters of John Calvin, Volume II (of 4)|Jules Bonnet
First, the fire was banked and the draughts dosed; then she wrote a little note for her mother and laid it on the table.
Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905 to 1906|Lucy Maud Montgomery
I fear you will never be able to empty the little horn in three draughts, as the least of my men can do.
In The Days of Giants|Abbie Farwell Brown

The train was jolting, there were draughts, and now I am sitting on my bed, holding my head and expecting tic douloureux.
The Wife and Other Stories|Anton Chekhov

British Dictionary definitions for draughts (1 of 5)

draughts

/ (drɑːfts) /

noun

(functioning as singular) a game for two players using a draughtboard and 12 draughtsmen each. The object is to jump over and capture the opponent's piecesUS and Canadian name: checkers

Word Origin for draughts

C14: plural of draught (in obsolete sense: a chess move)

British Dictionary definitions for draughts (2 of 5)

checker¹

/ (ˈtʃɛkə) /

noun, verb

the usual US spelling of chequer

noun

textiles a variant spelling of chequer (def. 2)

US and Canadian any one of the 12 flat thick discs used by each player in the game of checkersAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): draughtsman

British Dictionary definitions for draughts (3 of 5)

checker²

/ (ˈtʃɛkə) /

noun mainly US and Canadian

a cashier, esp in a supermarket

an attendant in a cloakroom, left-luggage office, etc

British Dictionary definitions for draughts (4 of 5)

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

British Dictionary definitions for draughts (5 of 5)

draught

US draft

/ (drɑːft) /

noun

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

the act of pulling a load, as by a vehicle or animal
(as modifier)a draught horse

the load or quantity drawn

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

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

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

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

beer, wine, etc, stored in bulk, esp in a cask, as opposed to being bottled
(as modifier)draught beer
on draught drawn from a cask or keg

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

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

feel the draught to be short of money

Derived forms of draught

draughter or US drafter, noun

Word Origin for draught

C14: probably from Old Norse drahtr, of Germanic origin; related to draw

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

Medicine definitions for draughts

draft

[ drăft ]

n.

A measured portion of a liquid or aerosol medication; a dose.

Culture definitions for draughts (1 of 2)

draft

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

Culture definitions for draughts (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.)