Definition of: draw

(drô) v. drew, drawn, draw·ing v.t.
1. To cause to move to or with the mover by means of strength, force, etc.; pull; haul.
2. To acquire or obtain, as from a receptacle: to draw water.
3. To cause to flow forth: to draw blood or tears.
4. To cause to come forth; induce: to draw praise, laughter, criticism, etc.
5. To take or pull off, on, or out, as gloves or a sword: She drew off her gloves.
6. To get or receive; earn, as a salary or interest.
7. To take out; remove, as money from a bank.
8. To deduce; extract by mental process; formulate: to draw a conclusion or comparison.
9. To attract; allure: Honey draws flies.
10. To close, as against light; shut, as curtains, a bag, etc.
11. To elicit; bring out, as truth or information.
12. To stretch out; manufacture by stretching or hammering, as wire or dies.
13. To disembowel: to draw a chicken.
14. To take in; inhale, as breath.
15. To drain of contents, as a pond.
16. To win (a prize) in a lottery; to obtain, as by chance.
17. Naut. To require (a specified depth) to float: said of vessels.
18. To depict, as a sketch or diagram; to describe pictorially or verbally; delineate.
19. To write out; draft, as a check or deed: often with up.
20. In card games, a To ask for or take an additional card or cards. b To force (a card or cards) to be played: to draw trumps.
21. In billiards, to cause (the cue ball) to recoil after contact.
22. In cricket, to deflect (the ball) by a slight turn of the bat.
23. In curling, to play (the stone) gently.
24. To leave undecided, as a game or contest.
—v.i.
25. To exert a pulling force.
26. To come or go: to draw near or away.
27. To exercise or exert an attracting influence.
28. To pull out or unsheathe a weapon.
29. To shrink; tauten; become contracted, as a wound.
30. To cause redness and irritation of the skin, as a poultice or blister.
31. To obtain money, supplies, etc., from some source.
32. To produce a current of air: The fire draws well.
33. To end a contest without decision; tie.
34. Naut. To fill or swell out with wind: The sails are drawing now.
35. In hunting, a To track game by scent. b To approach game slowly after pointing: said of hounds.
—to draw a blank To be unsuccessful.
—to draw a (or the) long bow To exaggerate.
—to draw and quarter In medieval executions: a To disembowel and dismember after hanging. b To tie each of the victim's arms and legs to a different horse and whip the horses in different directions.
—to draw back To recoil, as from an unfavorable situation.
—to draw fire To be a target of attack.
—to draw first blood
1. In dueling, to inflict the first wound.
2. To score first in any contest or competition.
—to draw on
1. To rely upon or make requirements of: He drew on his reputation.
2. To lure or entice.
3. To approach its end: The evening is drawing on.
—to draw out
1. To protract; prolong.
2. To cause (someone) to give information or express opinions.
—to draw the line To fix the limit; refuse to go further.
—to draw up
1. To put in required legal form, as a will or deed.
2. To overtake: He drew up with the leader.
3. To form in ranks; marshal, as troops.
4. To straighten (oneself); stiffen, as in anger or resentment.
—noun
1. An act of drawing or state of being drawn; also, that which is drawn.
2. An indecisive contest; a tie game.
3. The movable section of a drawbridge.
4. Anything that draws; specifically, an exhibition that attracts a crowd.
5. A drawn chance or ticket, as in a lottery.
6. A quantity drawn.
7. The act of drawing a revolver or knife: quick on the draw.
8. In various card games, cards dealt or drawn after the discard.
9. A ravine or coulee. [OE dragan] Synonyms (verb): allure, attract, drag, entice, haul, incline, induce, lead, lure, pull, tow, tug. One object draws another when it moves it toward itself or in the direction of its own motion by the exertion of adequate force, whether slight or powerful. To attract is to exert a force that tends to draw, while it may produce no actual motion; all objects are attracted toward the earth, but they may be sustained from falling. To drag is to draw against strong resistance; as, to drag a sled over bare ground, or a carriage up a steep hill. To pull is to exert a drawing force, whether adequate or inadequate; as, the fish pulls on the line; a dentist pulls a tooth. To tug is to draw, or try to draw, a resisting object with a continuous straining motion. To haul is to draw somewhat slowly a heavy object; as, to haul a seine; to haul logs. One vessel tows another. In the figurative sense, attract is more nearly akin to incline, draw to induce. We are attracted by one's appearance, drawn to his side. See ACTUATE, ALLURE, INFLUENCE. Antonyms: alienate, estrange, push, rebuff, reject, repel, repulse. See synonyms for DRIVE.