draft

noun \ ˈdraft , ˈdräft \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: draft in a Sentence

Definition of draft

1 fishing

a : the act of drawing or pulling in a net

b : haul 2b

a draft of fish

2 a : the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling

a last draft on her cigarette

; also : the portion drunk or inhaled in one such act

b : a portion poured out or mixed for drinking : dose

3 mechanical engineering

a : the force required to pull a plow or other implement

b : load or load-pulling capacity

the draft of a typical draft horse

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

a draft for a future skyscraper

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 lengthening or stretching something (such as threads or metal)

7 a : the act of causing a liquid to come out of a container or source : the act of drawing (as from a cask or keg)

b : a portion of liquid so drawn

a draft of ale

c : draft (see ²draft 2) beer

a glass of draft

8 nautical : the depth of water a ship draws (see ¹draw transitive 6) especially when loaded

9 a (1) : a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for compulsory military service)

debating whether or not to institute a draft

(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 sports : a system whereby exclusive rights to selected new players are apportioned among professional teams

He was chosen in the first round of the draft.

10 a : an order for the payment of money drawn (see ¹draw 7c) 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)

open the draft

12 : angle, taper; specifically, industrial engineering : the taper (see ²taper 2b) given to a pattern or die (see ²die 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn

13 : a pocket of reduced air pressure behind a moving object; also, racing sports : the use of such a draft to save energy

— on draft

: ready to be drawn from a receptacle

beer on draft

See draft defined for English-language learners

See draft defined for kids

Examples of draft in a Sentence

The published poem differs quite a bit from earlier drafts.
You may want to seal the windows with plastic to stop drafts.

Recent Examples of draft from the Web

Xavier University's Conor Grammes, a draft-eligible sophomore because of his age, was selected in the 35th round by the Baltimore Orioles.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "2018 MLB Draft: Which Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky current, ex-preps stars were selected?," 7 June 2018
His strong performance was overshadowed by Vasil, who withdrew his name from this week’s MLB draft to honor his college commitment.

— matt doherty, BostonGlobe.com, "BC High’s Mike Vasil blanks Walpole in Super 8 opener," 7 June 2018
Masaru Yoshizawa, a Fujifilm director, said the company had prepared a draft copy of the audited financial statements by the deadline, but Xerox declined to receive it.

— mayumi negishi, WSJ, "Fujifilm Would Consider Giving Up on Xerox Deal, CEO Says," 7 June 2018
More headliens: Here are the Louisville and Kentucky players taken in the MLB draftMcDonnell's current $1 million per year contract runs through 2026.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville baseball coach Dan McDonnell to get new contract, Tyra says," 7 June 2018
The draft presidential statement would for the first time mention the humanitarian situation.

— Washington Post, "UN expected to adopt statement encouraging peace in Ukraine," 7 June 2018
The beer is super cold Twin Peaks serves its draft beer at an icy 29 degrees.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "4 things you should know before heading to the new Twin Peaks restaurant in Glendale," 7 June 2018
Burrows was one of several state prospects picked Wednesday as the draft concluded with rounds 11 through 40, a total of 1,214 players picked.

— dom amore, courant.com, "MLB Draft: UConn's P.J. Poulin, Zac Susi Picked On Day 3, Waterford's Michael Burrows, Amity's Patrick Winkel Have College, Pro Options," 6 June 2018
Players have until July 6 to come to terms with the organization that selected them, although college seniors with no more eligibility remaining may be signed up until one week before the 2019 draft.

— kirk kenney, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Players with San Diego ties selected in the 2018 MLB Draft," 6 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'draft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of draft

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

draft Synonyms

Synonyms

burden, cargo, freight, haul, lading, load, loading, payload, weight;

Related Words

consignment;

boatload, carload, shipload, trainload, truckload, wagonload;

ballast, deadweight;

overload, surcharge;

bale, bundle, pack, package, packet, parcel, shipment;

manifest;

body, bulk, mass;

draft

adjective

Definition of draft

1 animal husbandry : used or adapted for drawing loads

draft horses

2 : being or having been ready to be drawn from a receptacle : being or having been on draft

drinking draft beer

See draft defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of draft from the Web

Kleber had tried to catch the eye of an NBA team twice, withdrawing from draft consideration in 2012 and going undrafted in 2014.

— kevin casas, star-telegram, "Tall tale of a friendship made in Germany and groomed with the Dallas Mavericks," 3 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of draft

see ¹draft

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, sake, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

draft

verb

Definition of draft

transitive verb

1 : to select for some purpose: such as

a : to conscript for military service

was drafted and sent overseas

b sports : to select (a professional athlete) by draft

got drafted by the Yankees

2 a : to draw the preliminary sketch, version, or plan of

draft legislation

b : compose, prepare

draft a memo

3 : to draw off or away

water drafted by pumps

4 racing sports : to stay close behind (another racer) so as to take advantage of the reduced air pressure created by the leading racer

intransitive verb

1 : to practice draftsmanship

2 racing sports : to draft another racer (as in car or bike racing)

—

draftable

play \ˈdraf-tə-bəl, ˈdräf-\ adjective

—

draftee

play \ˌdraf-ˈtē, ˌdräf-\ noun

—

drafter

play \ˈdraf-tər, ˈdräf-\ noun

See draft defined for English-language learners

Examples of draft in a Sentence

The two countries are drafting a treaty.
The drama club drafted three teenagers to be in the parade.
The legislature debated drafting more soldiers.
The new rule prohibits teams from drafting players under 18.

Recent Examples of draft from the Web

He was drafted by New England in the seventh round in 2009 and is third all-time in career playoff receptions with 89.

— nihal kolur, SI.com, "Julian Edelman on Suspension: "I Don't Know What Happened"," 8 June 2018
He was drafted by the Cardinals with the 95th overall pick in the third round.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Dream come true: All the area players selected in MLB draft," 7 June 2018
But Frederick, a four-time Pro Bowler who has started every game since he was drafted in the first round in 2013, sees opportunity amid the shift.

— lindsay h. jones, USA TODAY, "Big changes brewing for Cowboys' offense after offseason shake-ups," 7 June 2018
In 1989, at the height of the first Intifada, he was drafted into the Israeli army.

— daphne merkin, WSJ, "‘Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor’ Review: Empathy With the Stranger," 7 June 2018
The Eastern senior signed with Maryland and, given where he was drafted, is expected to join the Terrapins next season.

— mitchell gladstone, Philly.com, "Philly-area prospects picked in the 2018 MLB draft | Live updates," 6 June 2018
He was not drafted by the conclusion of the 10th round, which marked final round of Tuesday before the draft begins its final day Wednesday.

— curt hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Arrowhead's Jeff Holtz waits out the MLB draft by hitting homer, clinching a state berth," 6 June 2018
Obviously, those guys have some quality to them in terms of where they were drafted.

— dan woike, latimes.com, "Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram gets to work on making a Super Bowl victory a reality," 5 June 2018
But he was drafted by the previous regime to be a 3-4 defensive end, a role that is defunct in the Colts’ new defensive system.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "The Colts made Anderson lose (so much) weight before trading him. The Jets want it back.," 3 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of draft

see ¹draft

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1714

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

draft Synonyms

DRAFT Defined for English Language Learners

draft

noun

Definition of draft for English Language Learners

: a version of something (such as a document) that you make before you make the final version
: cool air moving in a closed space (such as a room)
: a system in which young people are required to join the armed forces of a country for a period of service

draft

adjective

Definition of draft for English Language Learners

of an animal : used for pulling heavy loads
of beer : stored in and poured from a large container
: not yet in the final form

draft

verb

Definition of draft for English Language Learners

: to make a version of (something, such as a document or plan) that will need more work in order to be finished
: to choose (someone) for a special purpose
: to officially order (someone) to join the armed forces

DRAFT Defined for Kids

draft

noun \ ˈdraft , ˈdräft \

Definition of draft for Students

1 : a version of something written or drawn (as an essay, document, or plan) that has or will have more than one version

I finished the rough draft of my report.

2 : a current of air

3 : a device to regulate an air supply (as in a fireplace)

4 : the act of pulling or hauling : the thing or amount pulled

a beast of draft

5 : the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling : the portion drunk or inhaled at one time

He took a draft of his drink.

6 : the act of drawing out liquid (as from a cask) : a portion of liquid drawn out

a draft of beer

7 : the depth of water a ship needs in order to float

8 : the practice of ordering people into military service

9 : the practice of choosing someone to play on a professional sports team

10 : an order made by one person or organization to another to pay money to a third person or organization

draft

adjective

Definition of draft for Students

1 : used for pulling loads

a draft animal

2 : not in final form

a draft report

3 : ready to be drawn from a container

draft beer

draft

verb

Definition of draft for Students

drafted; drafting

1 : to write or draw a version of something (as an essay or plan) that usually needs more work

2 : to choose someone to do something

Mom drafted us to clean the garage.

3 : to pick especially for required military service

Medical Dictionary

draft

noun

variants: or chiefly British draught play \ˈdraft, ˈdrȧft\

medical Definition of draft

1 : a portion (as of medicine) poured out or mixed for drinking : dose

2 : a current of air in a closed-in space

—

drafty

or chiefly British draughty play \ˈdraf-tē, ˈdrȧf-\ adjective

Law Dictionary

draft

noun

legal Definition of draft

1 : a preliminary version of something (as a law)

2 a : a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for military service)

b : the act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without his or her expressed consent

3 : an order for the payment of money drawn by one person or bank on another — see also drawee, drawer — compare check

— documentary draft

: a draft that will be honored only upon the presentation of certain documents (as an invoice or certificate of title)

— sight draft

: a draft payable on presentation

— time draft

: a draft payable a specified number of days after the date of the draft or of its presentation

draft

transitive verb

legal Definition of draft

1 : to select for some purpose; specifically : to conscript for military service

2 : to compose or prepare especially the preliminary version of

drafting legislation

intransitive verb

: to practice draftsmanship

—

drafter

noun

Learn More about draft

See words that rhyme with draft Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for draft Spanish Central: Translation of draft Nglish: Translation of draft for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of draft for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about draft

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draft

Definition of draft

Examples of draft in a Sentence

Recent Examples of draft from the Web

Origin and Etymology of draft

draft Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

draft

Definition of draft

Recent Examples of draft from the Web

Origin and Etymology of draft

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

draft

Definition of draft

draftable

draftee

drafter

Examples of draft in a Sentence

Recent Examples of draft from the Web

Origin and Etymology of draft

draft Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Related Words

Phrases Related to DRAFT

Related Phrases

DRAFT Defined for English Language Learners

draft

Definition of draft for English Language Learners

draft

Definition of draft for English Language Learners

draft

Definition of draft for English Language Learners

DRAFT Defined for Kids

draft

Definition of draft for Students

draft

Definition of draft for Students

draft

Definition of draft for Students

Medical Dictionary

draft

medical Definition of draft

drafty

Law Dictionary

draft

legal Definition of draft

draft

legal Definition of draft

drafter

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