Main Entry:

¹draft

Pronunciation:

\ˈdraft, ˈdräft\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English draght; akin to Old English dragan to draw — more at draw

Date:

13th century

1 a: the act of drawing a net b: haul 2b2 a: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling ; also : the portion drunk or inhaled in one such act b: a portion poured out or mixed for drinking : dose3 a: the force required to pull an implement b: load or load-pulling capacity4 a: the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull b: a team of animals together with what they draw5 a: delineation, representation b: scheme, design c: a preliminary sketch, outline, or version <the author's first draft> <a draft treaty>6: the act, result, or plan of drawing out or stretching7 a: the act of drawing (as from a cask) b: a portion of liquid so drawn <a draft of ale> c: draft beer <a glass of draft>8: the depth of water a ship draws especially when loaded9 a (1): a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for compulsory military service) (2): an act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without the individual's expressed consent b: a group of individuals selected especially by military draft c: a system whereby exclusive rights to selected new players are apportioned among professional teams10 a: an order for the payment of money drawn by one person or bank on another b: the act or an instance of drawing from or making demands upon something : demand11 a: a current of air in a closed-in space <felt a draft> b: a device for regulating the flow of air (as in a fireplace)12: angle, taper ; specifically : the taper given to a pattern or die so that the work can be easily withdrawn13: a pocket of reduced air pressure behind a moving object ; also : the use of such a draft to save energy

— on draft

: ready to be drawn from a receptacle <beer on draft>