draft

noun \ ˈdraft , ˈdräft \

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engineering :the taper (see ²taper 2b) given to a pattern or die (see ²die 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn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

Baltimore Ravens (8-8): Spending their first four draft picks on defense would’ve been OK, except Crows are really weak at wide receiver, too.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "See who’s No. 1 and where Dolphins land in our annual NFL Team Rankings," 30 Aug. 2017
Pruitt, who was selected in the 19th round of the 1982 major league draft by the New York Mets, induced a flyout and two groundouts in his perfect inning according to the report.

— roger pinckney, star-telegram, "Cleburne pitching coach, 55, shows young ones how it’s done in perfect inning," 28 Aug. 2017
Fox announced Wednesday that Mitch Trubisky, the Bears top draft choice and third-stringer, would start the second half with the ones in Nashville.

— steve rosenbloom, chicagotribune.com, "Bears make the right halftime adjustment — four months late," 24 Aug. 2017
A great draft cocktail will deliver something totally new and unexpected.

— julia black, Bon Appetit, "What Is a Draft Cocktail, Anyway?," 24 Aug. 2017
A draft of the new rules was released Friday, and after a public comment period officials could begin to enforce them in September — with more regulations expected in late 2018.

— scott smith, The Seattle Times, "California tightens rules on popular pesticide for farmers," 18 Aug. 2017
Oh my god this tweet has been sitting in my drafts for WAY TOO LONG!!!!!!!

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "14 of the Funniest Reactions to Steve Bannon's Firing," 18 Aug. 2017
Oswalt, a seventh-round draft pick in 2012, credits Binghamton pitching coach and former big-leaguer Glenn Abbott with his success.

— john maffei, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Former Madison High star Oswalt putting it together," 16 Aug. 2017
Still, Hernandez had enough off-field trouble that no NFL team was willing to take him on until Bill Belichick gambled with a fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft.

— alex french, Esquire, "The Man Who Knows Aaron Hernandez's Secrets," 15 Aug. 2017

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

See Words from the same year

draft Synonyms

Synonyms

burden, cargo, load, freight, haul, lading, 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

Origin and Etymology of draft

see ¹draft

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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

Toksvig, an Anglo-Danish actor and comedian, felt obviously drafted into the Perkins role, doling out smutty innuendo and wry asides as the contestants fashioned fruity sponges and mini fingers and showstopping cake illusions.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Great British Bake Off Keeps the Dream Alive," 30 Aug. 2017
But New York had three-year backup Jay Bromley on standby and drafted Tomlinson out of Alabama in the second round the month after Hankins left.

— robert clay, AL.com, "SEC Shorts - Nick Saban's Coke bottle shares his incredible story," 30 Aug. 2017
Even after his diagnosis, this right-handed pitcher was drafted by the Kansas City Royals and offered a baseball scholarship by the University of San Diego.

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fighting cancer — and supporting cancer patients — with beer," 28 Aug. 2017
Hill (9-5), who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs, spent 2002-03 with the Hawks, getting his career off to a not-so-hot start.

— idahostatesman, "Two ex-Boise Hawks, a near no-hitter and a walkoff homer ... what a night.," 23 Aug. 2017
In 1965, during the Vietnam War, Adair was drafted and assigned to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command in Panama.

— jeff maysh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Cop Who Became a Robber," 22 Aug. 2017
Peterlin is a former Commerce Department and congressional aide with a law degree who helped draft the Patriot Act and shepherded Tillerson through his Senate confirmation.

— james baker, vanityfair.com, "Is Rex Tillerson Destroying the State Department in Order to Save It?," 20 Aug. 2017
There are no plans for the redevelopment yet, and they won't be drafted until after a development company is chosen and public input considered, Schatz said.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Naperville council members question selection process of 5th Avenue developer," 16 Aug. 2017
According to nfl.com, Ninkovich, who played for Purdue University, was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2006, went to the Miami Dolphins in 2007 and 2008, and returned to the Saints in 2008, before going to New England in 2009.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "New Lenox to host rally for retired NFL player Rob Ninkovich," 8 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of draft

see ¹draft

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1714

See Words from the same year

draft Synonyms

Synonyms

conscribe, conscript, levy

Antonyms

fill

Related Words

impress, press; enlist, enroll (also enrol), recruit; call up; sign up, volunteer

Near Antonyms

discharge, muster out

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

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draft

Definition of draft

Origin and Etymology of draft

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

draft

Definition of draft

draftable

draftee

drafter

Examples of draft in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of draft

draft Synonyms

Synonyms

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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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