draught definition | Dictionary.com

draught

[draft, drahft]

–noun

1.	draughts, (used with a singular verb) British. the game of checkers.

2.	Chiefly British. draft (defs. 1, 3–10, 18–25, 38).

–verb (used with object)

3.	Chiefly British. draft (defs. 28–32).

–verb (used without object)

4.	Chiefly British. draft (def. 33).

–adjective

5.	Chiefly British. draft (defs. 35–37).

Origin:
1150–1200; ME draht (c. D dracht, G Tracht, ON drāttr); akin to OE dragan to draw, drōht a pull (at the oars)

Related forms:

draughter, noun

Pronunciation note:
Draught is a variant spelling of draft and is normally pronounced the same way, as [draft]

or [drahft] or with a vowel somewhere between [a] and [ah]. A pronunciation [drawt] is sometimes heard for draught, perhaps because -aught is frequently pronounced [-awt] elsewhere, as in caught and taught.

draft

[draft, drahft]

–noun

1.	a drawing, sketch, or design.

2.	a first or preliminary form of any writing, subject to revision, copying, etc.

3.	act of drawing; delineation.

4.	a current of air in any enclosed space, esp. in a room, chimney, or stove.

5.	a current of air moving in an upward or downward direction.

6.	a device for regulating the current of air in a stove, fireplace, etc.

7.	an act of drawing or pulling loads.

8.	something that is drawn or pulled; a haul.

9.	an animal or team of animals used to pull a load.

10.	the force required to pull a load.

11.	the taking of supplies, forces, money, etc., from a given source.

12.	a selection or drawing of persons, by lot or otherwise, from the general body of the people for military service; levy; conscription.

13.	the persons so selected.

14.	Sports. a selecting or drawing of new players from a choice group of amateur players by professional teams, esp. a system of selecting new players so that each team in a professional league receives some of the most promising players.

15.	British. a selection of persons already in military service to be sent from one post or organization to another; detachment.

16.	a written order drawn by one person upon another; a writing directing the payment of money on account of the drawer; bill of exchange.

17.	a drain or demand made on anything.

18.	draft beer.

19.	an act of drinking or inhaling.

20.	something that is taken in by drinking or inhaling; a drink; dose.

21.	a quantity of fish caught.

22.	Nautical. the depth to which a vessel is immersed when bearing a given load.

23.	Also called leave. Metallurgy. the slight taper given to a pattern so that it may be drawn from the sand without injury to the mold.

24.

Metalworking.

a.	the change in sectional area of a piece of work caused by a rolling or drawing operation.

b.	a taper on a die or punch permitting it to be withdrawn readily from the work.

25.	Masonry. a line or border chiseled at the edge of a stone, to serve as a guide in leveling the surfaces.

26.

Textiles.

a.	the degree of attenuation produced in fibers during yarn processing, expressed either by the ratio of the weight of raw to the weight of processed fiber, or by the ratio between the varying surface speeds of the rollers on the carding machine.

b.	the act of attenuating the fibers.

27.	an allowance granted to a buyer for waste of goods sold by weight.

–verb (used with object)

28.	to draw the outlines or plan of; sketch.

29.	to draw up in written form; compose.

30.	to draw or pull.

31.	to take or select by draft, esp. for military service.

32.	Masonry. to cut a draft on.

–verb (used without object)

33.	to do drafting; work as a draftsman.

34.	(in an automobile race) to drive or ride close behind another car so as to benefit from the reduction in air pressure created behind the car ahead.

–adjective

35.	used or suited for drawing loads: a draft horse.

36.	drawn or available to be drawn from a cask rather than served from a sealed bottle: draft ale.

37.	being a tentative or preliminary outline, version, design, or sketch.

—Idiom

38.	on draft, available to be drawn from a cask rather than from a sealed bottle: imported beer on draft.

Also, especially British, draught (for defs. 1, 3–10, 18–25, 38–33, 35–37).

Origin:
later sp. of draught (since 16th century)

Related forms:

draft⋅a⋅ble, adjective

drafter, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To draught

draught (dräft)

n. , v. & adj. Chiefly British
Variant of draft.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Draught

Draught\, n. [The same as draft, the spelling with gh indicating an older pronunciation. See Draft, n., Draw.]

1. The act of drawing or pulling; as: (a) The act of moving loads by drawing, as by beasts of burden, and the like.

A general custom of using oxen for all sort of draught would be, perhaps, the greatest improvement. --Sir W. Temple. (b) The drawing of a bowstring. [Obs.]

She sent an arrow forth with mighty draught. --Spenser. (c) Act of drawing a net; a sweeping the water for fish.

Upon the draught of a pond, not one fish was left. --Sir M. Hale. (d) The act of drawing liquor into the mouth and throat; the act of drinking.

In his hands he took the goblet, but a while the draught forbore. --Trench. (e) A sudden attack or drawing upon an enemy. [Obs.]

By drawing sudden draughts upon the enemy when he looketh not for you. --Spenser. (f) (Mil.) The act of selecting or detaching soldiers; a draft (see Draft, n., 2) (g) The act of drawing up, marking out, or delineating; representation. --Dryden.

2. That which is drawn; as: (a) That which is taken by sweeping with a net.

Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. --Luke v. 4.

He laid down his pipe, and cast his net, which brought him a very great draught. --L'Estrange. (b) (Mil.) The force drawn; a detachment; -- in this sense usually written draft. (c) The quantity drawn in at once in drinking; a potion or potation.

Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery, . . . still thou art a bitter draught. --Sterne.

Low lies that house where nut-brown draughts inspired. --Goldsmith. (d) A sketch, outline, or representation, whether written, designed, or drawn; a delineation.

A draught of a Toleration Act was offered to the Parliament by a private member. --Macaulay.

No picture or draught of these things from the report of the eye. --South. (e) (Com.) An order for the payment of money; -- in this sense almost always written draft. (f) A current of air moving through an inclosed place, as through a room or up a chimney. --Thackeray.

He preferred to go and sit upon the stairs, in . . . a strong draught of air, until he was again sent for. --Dickens.

3. That which draws; as: (a) A team of oxen or horses. --Blackstone. (b) A sink or drain; a privy. --Shak. --Matt. xv. 17. (c) pl. (Med.) A mild vesicatory; a sinapism; as, to apply draughts to the feet.

4. Capacity of being drawn; force necessary to draw; traction.

The Hertfordshire wheel plow . . . is of the easiest draught. --Mortimer.

5. (Naut.) The depth of water necessary to float a ship, or the depth a ship sinks in water, especially when laden; as, a ship of twelve feet draught.

6. (Com.) An allowance on weighable goods. [Eng.] See Draft, 4.

7. A move, as at chess or checkers. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

8. The bevel given to the pattern for a casting, in order that it may be drawn from the sand without injury to the mold.

9. (Masonry) See Draft, n., 7.

Angle of draught, the angle made with the plane over which a body is drawn by the line in which the pulling force acts, when the latter has the direction best adapted to overcome the obstacles of friction and the weight of the body.

Black draught. See under Black, a.

Blast draught, or Forced draught, the draught produced by a blower, as by blowing in air beneath a fire or drawing out the gases from above it.

Natural draught, the draught produced by the atmosphere flowing, by its own weight, into a chimney wherein the air is rarefied by heat.

On draught, so as to be drawn from the wood (as a cask, barrel, etc.) in distinction from being bottled; as, ale on draught.

Sheer draught. See under Sheer.

Draught

Draught\, a. 1. Used for drawing vehicles, loads, etc.; as, a draught beast; draught hooks.

2. Relating to, or characterized by, a draft, or current of air.

3. Used in making drawings; as, draught compasses.

4. Drawn directly from the barrel, or other receptacle, in distinction from bottled; on draught; -- said of ale, cider, and the like.

Note: This word, especially in the first and second meanings, is often written draft, a spelling which is approved by many authorities.

Draught box. See Draught tube, below.

Draught engine (Mining), an engine used for pumping, raising heavy weights, and the like.

Draught hook (Mil.), one of the hooks on a cannon carriage, used in drawing the gun backward and forward.

Draught horse, a horse employed in drawing loads, plowing, etc., as distinguished from a saddle horse or carriage horse.

Draught net, a seine or hauling net.

Draught ox, an ox employed in hauling loads, plowing, etc.

Draught tube (Water Wheels), an air-tight pipe extending downward into the tailrace from a turbine wheel located above it, to make the whole fall available; -- called also draught box.

Draught

Draught\ (dr[.a]ft), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Draughted; p. pr. & vb. n. Draughting.]

1. To draw out; to call forth. See Draft. --Addison.

2. To diminish or exhaust by drawing. [R.]

The Parliament so often draughted and drained. --Sir W. Scott.

3. To draw in outline; to make a draught, sketch, or plan of, as in architectural and mechanical drawing.

Draughting room, a room draughtsmen to work in, and where plans are kept.

Language Translation for : draught

Spanish: corriente de aire,

German: der Zug,

Japanese: すきま風

More Translations »

draught

c.1205, from O.E. *dreaht, *dræht, related to dragan "to draw, drag" (see drag). Oldest sense besides that of "pulling" is of "drinking;" meaning "current of air" ("drawn" through an opening) is 18c. It retains the functions that did not branch off with draft. Draughts, British for what in U.S. is "checkers" is c.1400.

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