draft

Etymology

A phonetic spelling of draught (compare laughter), from Middle English draught, draght (“that which is pulled; that which is drawn up, a design”), from Old English *dreaht, *dræht, from Proto-West Germanic *drahti, *drahtu, from Proto-Germanic *drahtuz (“a pulling, drawing”), equivalent to draw (“to draw, drag”) + -t. Cognate with Dutch dracht, German Tracht, Icelandic dráttur.

noun

1. (American spelling) A current of air, usually coming into a room or vehicle.
2. (American spelling) The draw through a flue of gasses (smoke) resulting from a combustion process.
3. (American spelling) An act of drinking.
4. (American spelling) The quantity of liquid (such as water, alcohol, or medicine) drunk in one swallow.
   to drink at a draft
   She took a deep draft from the bottle of water.
5. (American spelling) A dose (of medicine, alcohol, etc.).
6. (American spelling) Liquid, especially beer or other alcohol, drawn from a cask or keg rather than a bottle or can.
   From 1767 to 1774 no pale wine was bottled but for immediate use; only draft wine of all kinds was used in the principal taverns, and it was often very bad, not from tricks of the vintners, but from bad management. 1863, Thomas George Shaw, Wine, the Vine, and the Cellar, page 152
   Another positive trend is the increase of quality in draft cider options. Draft cider has often been, and sometimes still is, considered an inferior product by cider traditionalists, who believe a true cider should come in a bottle or[…] 2015-09-14, Jeff Smith, Craft Cider: How to Turn Apples into Alcohol, The Countryman Press
7. (American spelling, nautical) The depth of water needed to float a particular ship; the depth from the waterline to the bottom of a vessel's hull; the depth of water drawn by a vessel.
8. (universal) An early version of a written work (such as a book or e-mail) or drawing.
   I have to revise the first draft of my term paper.
   His first drafts were better than most authors' final products.
   Dr Richard Beeching's handwritten draft of his report survives in the National Archives. March 8 2023, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 43
9. (universal) A preliminary sketch or outline for a plan.
10. (universal) A cheque, an order for money to be paid.
11. (US, usually with the) Conscription, the system of forcing people to serve in the military.
    He left the country to avoid the draft.
12. (politics, US) A system of forcing or convincing people to take an elected position.
13. (sports, US) A system of assigning rookie players to professional sports teams.
14. (American spelling, rail transport) The pulling force (tension) on couplers and draft gear during a slack stretched condition.
15. The bevel given to the pattern for a casting, so that it can be drawn from the sand without damaging the mould.
16. (American spelling, possibly archaic) The action or an act (especially of a beast of burden or vehicle) of pulling something along or back.
    using oxen for draft
    shot forth an arrow with a mighty draft
    In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century in the U.S., "strong" ploughs requiring the draft of four and sometimes six oxen were frequently used for breaking land which had previously lain fallow for several years. 1988, Kenneth W. Russell, Afther Eden, page 39
17. (American spelling, possibly archaic) The act of drawing in a net for fish.
18. (American spelling, possibly archaic) That which is drawn in; a catch, a haul.
    He cast his net, which brought him a very great draft.
19. (British, possibly archaic) A quantity that is requisitioned or drawn out from a larger population.
    As an instance: amongst a draft of young hounds from Earl F itzwilliam's was one, of whom Will Deane, his huntsman, made this remark in his letter, 'that he could not guess at Lord Foley's dislike to the hound called Glider, then sent, which was of the best blood in the country, being got by Mr. Meynell's Glider out of Lord Fitzwilliam's Blossom, and was moreover the most promising young hound he had ever entered;... 1841, Alexander Walker, Intermarriage, page 325
    These drafts left between the 17th March and 28th April. After this there was no regular system of artillery drafts. A draft of 80 was detailed to take charge of horses on board ship as all cavalry drafts were for the time exhausted, and this draft sailed on the 30th June. 1904, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Sessional papers. Inventory control record 1 - Volume 42, page 83
    The Complaint about the Beef lately furnished for the use of the Troops &c at Parramatta, is not without foundation; when I commenced supplying the several Stations with animal food in January last, — a Draft of very fat Oxen was brought from Wellington for that purpose, — that draft has met the consumption of several Stations until now. — the Cattle lately remaining fell very much off in condition, though I certainly consider they were not inferior to a great deal of Beef, I have seen taken from Contractors. 1982, John Maxwell, Brian Edmund Lloyd, Bertha Mac Smith, Letters of John Maxwell, Superintendent of Government Stock, page 206
    An earlier draft of horses for the 4th Light Dragoons, however,was very different. 1993, Lord Anglesey, A History of the British Cavalry 1816-1919: Volume 2: 1851-1871
    The Light Brigade have got a draft of about 250 horses from England, and we expect ours shortly. 2009, Philip Warner, A Cavalryman in the Crimea

verb

1. (transitive) To write a first version, make a preliminary sketch.
2. To draw in outline; to make a draught, sketch, or plan of, as in architectural and mechanical drawing.
3. To write a law.
4. (transitive, US) To conscript a person, force a person to serve in some capacity, especially in the military.
   He was drafted during the Vietnam War.
5. To select someone (or something) for a particular role or purpose.
   There was a campaign to draft Smith to run for President.
   They drafted me to be the chairperson of the new committee.
   Class "H16" 4-6-2T No. 30516 has been drafted to the Fawley branch and is here seen working a 747-ton test train across Frost Lane crossing, near Hythe, on March 6 …. 1960 May, “Southern Newsreel”, in Trains Illustrated, page 315, photo caption
6. To select and separate an animal or animals from a group.
   The calves were drafted from the cows.
7. (transitive, sports, US) To select a rookie player onto a professional sports team.
   After his last year of college football, he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins.
8. (transitive, intransitive) To follow very closely (behind another vehicle), thereby providing an aerodynamic advantage to both lead and follower and conserving energy or increasing speed.
   At the restart, the positions of the Mercedes drivers was reversed. Hamilton drafted Bottas down to Turn One and took the lead around the outside, controlling the race from there. 13 September 2020, Andrew Benson, “Tuscan Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims 90th win after incredible race”, in BBC Sport
9. To draw out; to call forth.
10. To draw fibers out of a clump, for spinning in the production of yarn.

adj

1. (not comparable) Referring to drinks on tap, in contrast to bottled.
   I'd rather have a fresh, cheap draft beer.
2. Referring to animals used for pulling heavy loads.
   A Clydesdale is a draft horse.