draft

Meanings

Noun

• A current of air, usually coming into a room or vehicle.
• Draw through a flue of gasses (smoke) resulting from a combustion process.
• An act of drinking.
• The quantity of liquid (such as water, alcohol, or medicine) drunk in one swallow.
• A dose (of medicine, alcohol, etc.)
• Beer drawn from a cask or keg rather than a bottle or can.
• Depth of water needed to float a ship; depth below the water line to the bottom of a vessel's hull; depth of water drawn by a vessel.
• An early version of a written work (such as a book or e-mail) or drawing.
• A preliminary sketch or outline for a plan.
• A cheque, an order for money to be paid.
• Conscription, the system of forcing people to serve in the military.
• A system of forcing or convincing people to take an elected position.
• A system of assigning rookie players to professional sports teams.
• The pulling force (tension) on couplers and draft gear during a slack stretched condition.
• The bevel given to the pattern for a casting, so that it can be drawn from the sand without damaging the mould.
• The action or an act (especially of a beast of burden or vehicle) of pulling something along or back.
• The act of drawing in a net for fish.
• That which is drawn in; a catch, a haul.
• A quantity that is requisitioned or drawn out from a larger population.

Verb

• To write a first version, make a preliminary sketch.
• To draw in outline; to make a draught, sketch, or plan of, as in architectural and mechanical drawing.
• To write a law.
• To conscript a person, force a person to serve in some capacity, especially in the military.
• To select someone (or something) for a particular role or purpose.
• To select and separate an animal or animals from a group.
• To select a rookie player onto a professional sports team.
• To follow very closely (behind another vehicle), thereby providing an aerodynamic advantage to both lead and follower and conserving energy or increasing speed.
• To draw out; to call forth.
• To draw fibers out of a clump, for spinning in the production of yarn.

Adjective

• Referring to drinks on tap, in contrast to bottled.
• Referring to animals used for pulling heavy loads.

Origin

• A phonetic spelling of draught.