Definition of draft
(Entry 1 of 3)
2a : 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
4a : the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull
b : a team of animals together with what they draw
5a : delineation, representation a draft for a future skyscraper
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)
b : a portion of liquid so drawn
a draft of ale
c : draft (see draft entry 2 sense 2) beer
a glass of draft
8 nautical : the depth of water a ship draws (see draw entry 1 sense transitive 6) especially when loaded
9a(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.
10a : an order for the payment of money drawn (see draw entry 1 sense 7c) by one person or bank on another
b : the act or an instance of drawing from or making demands upon something : demand
11a : 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taper (see taper entry 2 sense 2b) given to a pattern or die (see die entry 2 sense 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn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
draft
adjectiveDefinition of draft (Entry 2 of 3)
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
draft
verbdrafted; drafting; drafts
Definition of draft (Entry 3 of 3)
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
2a : to draw the preliminary sketch, version, or plan of
draft legislation
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
1 : to practice draftsmanship
2 racing sports : to draft another racer (as in car or bike racing)
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Time Traveler for draft
The first known use of draft was in the 13th century
See more words from the same century