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 2b
2 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 : dose
3 a : the force required to pull an implement b : load or load-pulling capacity
4 a : the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull b : a team of animals together with what they draw
5 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 stretching
7 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 loaded
9 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 teams
10 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 : demand
11 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12 : angle, taper; specifically : the taper given to a pattern or die so that the work can be easily withdrawn
13 : 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>