Definition of: draft

(draft, dräft) noun
1. A current of air.
2. The act of drinking or inhaling, as a liquid or air; also, that which is so drawn into the mouth or throat in one drink or gulp.
3. Naut. The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
4. The act of drawing or drawing out, or the fact of being drawn; also, that which is drawn or drawn out, or its weight or resistance; a haul; pull; drag; a load.
5. The result of a drawing, as of a net in fishing.
6. A plan; outline; sketch. See synonyms under SKETCH.
7. A writing of articles or propositions as framed or drawn up, but not adopted or enacted.
8. An order drawn by one party or person on another for the payment of money to a third.
9. An order for money drawn by one bank and payable at another to the person designated in the order; a bill of exchange.
10. A damper, door, or other device for controlling the airflow in a furnace, stove, etc.
11. A military or naval conscription; levy.
12. That which tends to reduce or exhaust by drawing away a part: a draft on one's time, strength, etc.
13. An allowance on the invoices of goods for samples drawn from the packages.
14. Metall. The bevel given to the pattern for a casting so that it may be drawn from the mold without injuring the latter; in general, a taper given to an article or part.
15. The total sectional area of the openings in a turbine wheel, or the area of the opening of a sluicegate.
16. A line or border chiseled on a stone to guide in its dressing.
17. A ravine; a gully.
18. plural Draughts.
—on draft Ready to be drawn, as beer, etc., from a cask or the like.
—v.t.
1. To outline in writing; sketch; delineate.
2. To select and draw off, as for military service; conscript.
3. In weaving, to pull through the heddles.
4. To draw off or away.
5. To cut a draft on (a stone).
—adjective
1. Suitable or used for pulling heavy loads: a draft animal.
2. Not bottled, as beer; drawn from a cask. Also (esp. for noun defs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, and adjective 2) draught. [ME draht <OE dragan draw]
—draft′er noun
—draft′i·ness noun