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

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