a portion of liquid for drinking; specif., a dose of medicine
Informal a portion of beer, ale, etc. drawn from a cask
a drawing into the lungs, as of air or tobacco smoke
the amount of air, smoke, etc., drawn in
a rough or preliminary sketch of a piece of writing
a plan or drawing of a work to be done
a current of air, as in a room, heating system, etc.
a device for regulating the current of air in a heating system
a written order issued by one person, bank, firm, etc., directing the payment of money to another; check
a demand or drain made on something
the choosing or taking of an individual or individuals from a group for some special purpose, esp. for compulsory military service
the condition of being so taken
☆ a group of these so taken
☆ the demand made by a political party for a person to accept, sometimes reluctantly, a candidacy
the area of reduced air resistance behind a moving vehicle
the act or instance of closely following a race car, truck, etc. to avoid wind resistance and conserve fuel
Commerce a deduction allowed for waste or loss in weight
Hydraulics the size of an opening for the flow of water
Masonry a narrow strip along the edge or across the face of a stone, serving as a guide in leveling the surface
Mech. the taper given to a pattern or die so that the work can be removed easily
Naut. the depth of water that a vessel draws, or needs in order to float, esp. when loaded
☆ 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
transitive verb
to choose or take for some special purpose, as compulsory military service, by drawing from a group
☆ to persuade or compel (a person) to become a candidate for public office
to make a preliminary sketch of or working plans for
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
used for pulling loads: draft animals
drawn from a cask on order: draft beer
in a preliminary or rough form: a draft resolution