draft

noun

1. 1. a drawing or pulling, as of a vehicle or load
   2. the thing, quantity, or load pulled
2. 1. a drawing in of a fish net
   2. the amount of fish caught in one draw
3. 1. a taking of liquid into the mouth; drinking
   2. the amount taken at one drink
4. 1. a portion of liquid for drinking; specif., a dose of medicine
   2. Informal a portion of beer, ale, etc. drawn from a cask
5. 1. a drawing into the lungs, as of air or tobacco smoke
   2. the amount of air, smoke, etc., drawn in
6. a rough or preliminary sketch of a piece of writing
7. a plan or drawing of a work to be done
8. a current of air, as in a room, heating system, etc.
9. a device for regulating the current of air in a heating system
10. a written order issued by one person, bank, firm, etc., directing the payment of money to another; check
11. a demand or drain made on something
12. 1. the choosing or taking of an individual or individuals from a group for some special purpose, esp. for compulsory military service
    2. the condition of being so taken
    3. ☆ a group of these so taken
13. ☆ the demand made by a political party for a person to accept, sometimes reluctantly, a candidacy
14. 1. the area of reduced air resistance behind a moving vehicle
    2. the act or instance of closely following a race car, truck, etc. to avoid wind resistance and conserve fuel
15. Commerce a deduction allowed for waste or loss in weight
16. Hydraulics the size of an opening for the flow of water
17. Masonry a narrow strip along the edge or across the face of a stone, serving as a guide in leveling the surface
18. Mech. the taper given to a pattern or die so that the work can be removed easily
19. Naut. the depth of water that a vessel draws, or needs in order to float, esp. when loaded
20. ☆ Sports a system by which a league, as of professional teams, allots to each team the right to contract specified individuals in a group of players, esp. new players, usually by giving each team a turn to select one player until each roster is full

Etymology: ME draught, a drawing, pulling, stroke < base of OE dragan, draw

transitive verb

1. to choose or take for some special purpose, as compulsory military service, by drawing from a group
2. ☆ to persuade or compel (a person) to become a candidate for public office
3. to make a preliminary sketch of or working plans for
4. Sports to select (a player) during or in a draft ()

intransitive verb

☆ to drive very closely behind another vehicle while racing, so as to take advantage of the reduced air resistance behind it

adjective

1. used for pulling loads draft animals
2. drawn from a cask on order draft beer
3. in a preliminary or rough form a draft resolution