draft

1 of 3

noun

1
fishing
a
: the act of drawing or pulling in a net
b
: haul sense 2b
a draft of fish
2
a
: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
a last draft on her cigarette
also : the portion drunk or inhaled in one such act
b
: a portion poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
3
mechanical engineering
a
: the force required to pull a plow or other implement
b
: load or load-pulling capacity
the draft of a typical draft horse
4
a
: the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull
b
: a team of animals together with what they draw
5
a
: delineation, representation
a draft for a future skyscraper
b
c
: a preliminary sketch, outline, or version
the author's first draft
a draft treaty
6
: the act, result, or plan of lengthening or stretching something (such as threads or metal)
7
a
: the act of causing a liquid to come out of a container or source : the act of drawing (as from a cask or keg)
b
: a portion of liquid so drawn
a draft of ale
c
: draft (see draft entry 2 sense 2) beer
a glass of draft
8
nautical : the depth of water a ship draws (see draw entry 1 sense transitive 6) especially when loaded
9
a(1)
: a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for compulsory military service)
debating whether or not to institute a draft
(2)
: an act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without the individual's expressed consent
b
: a group of individuals selected especially by military draft
c
sports : a system whereby exclusive rights to selected new players are apportioned among professional teams
He was chosen in the first round of the draft.
10
a
: an order for the payment of money drawn (see draw entry 1 sense 7c) by one person or bank on another
b
: the act or an instance of drawing from or making demands upon something : demand
11
a
: a current of air in a closed-in space
felt a draft
b
: a device for regulating the flow of air (as in a fireplace)
open the draft
12
: angle, taper
specifically, industrial engineering : the taper (see taper entry 2 sense 2b) given to a pattern or die (see die entry 2 sense 3) so that the work can be easily withdrawn
13
: a pocket of reduced air pressure behind a moving object
also, racing sports : the use of such a draft to save energy

draft

2 of 3

adjective

1
animal husbandry : used or adapted for drawing loads
draft horses
2
: being or having been ready to be drawn from a receptacle : being or having been on draft
drinking draft beer

draft

3 of 3

verb

drafted; drafting; drafts

transitive verb

1
: to select for some purpose: such as
a
: to conscript for military service
was drafted and sent overseas
b
sports : to select (a professional athlete) by draft
got drafted by the Yankees
2
a
: to draw the preliminary sketch, version, or plan of
draft legislation
b
: compose, prepare
draft a memo
3
: to draw off or away
water drafted by pumps
4
racing sports : to stay close behind (another racer) so as to take advantage of the reduced air pressure created by the leading racer

intransitive verb

1
: to practice draftsmanship
2
racing sports : to draft another racer (as in car or bike racing)
draftable adjective
draftee
ˌdraf-ˈtē How to pronounce draft (audio)
ˌdräf-
noun
drafter
ˈdraf-tər How to pronounce draft (audio)
ˈdräf-
noun
Phrases
on draft
: ready to be drawn from a receptacle
beer on draft

Examples of draft in a Sentence

Noun The published poem differs quite a bit from earlier drafts. You may want to seal the windows with plastic to stop drafts. Verb The two countries are drafting a treaty. The drama club drafted three teenagers to be in the parade. The legislature debated drafting more soldiers. The new rule prohibits teams from drafting players under 18.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In his newest mock draft, ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Dolphins selecting Oregon interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson at No. 21 and Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders at 55. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a looming deadline to either extend their exemption or begin to include them in the draft. Natan Odenheimer, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Mitch Spence, whom the A’s made the No. 1 pick in December’s Rule 5 draft, solidified his chances of sticking on the roster by was sharp while picking up the win. Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The Vikings reportedly are in talks with the Patriots about trading up to get New England’s No. 3 overall draft pick — and, thus, a quarterback. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 Edwards, who came out of Georgia as the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, is averaging 26.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 If Washington were to select Maye in the draft, history could repeat itself in the NFC East. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024 The Forest Service published the final environmental impact statement and draft decision for the copper mine and land swap five days before the end of the Trump administration in January 2021. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 The Rams, for the first time in a long time, are about to conduct their business with dough and double-digit draft picks. Jay Paris, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
First round:Cincinnati Reds draft Wake Forest pitcher Rhett Lowder in first round of 2023 MLB Draft The Reds’ draft picks who sign with the team will report to Goodyear, Arizona, for post-draft camp before reporting to minor league affiliate teams. Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 12 July 2023 Tune did a pre-draft workout with the Cowboys. Joseph Hoyt, Dallas News, 13 Apr. 2023 Jake Chisholm Chisholm, who was a standout running back at Ryle High School before a collegiate career at the University of Dayton, will participate in the Cincinnati Bengals local pre-draft workout later this month. Shelby Dermer, The Enquirer, 6 Apr. 2023 At 6-foot-2 and turning 23 before the next NBA season gets underway, Sasser will have size and age working against him throughout the pre-draft process. Josh Criswell, Chron, 25 Mar. 2023 Even without the knee injury, Hooker has other questions to answer in the pre-draft process. The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2023 At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic had already wiped out his best chance at finding a professional basketball job in the U.S., his pre-draft workouts and summer plans completely altered when his college career ended on a Sunday and the world stopped March 11, 2020, three days later. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2022 Former Auburn player Jabari Smith Jr. talks with members of the media after his pre-draft workout with the Orlando Magic. Khobi Price, Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2022 Although my pre-draft plan was to build a balanced roster, Ohtani was certainly worth grabbing at a discount. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023
Verb
He was drafted during the war in Vietnam and spent a year there, turning 21 in the middle of a jungle. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 2024 The framework for restitutions was drafted during the Washington Conference on Holocaust Era Assets in 1998 and consists of 11 non-binding principles meant to guide countries with different legal systems through issues related to art seized during the Nazi era within the context of their own laws. Carlie Porterfield, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Garvey was drafted by the Dodgers out of Michigan State in 1968 and remained with the organization until signing with the San Diego Padres as a free agent before the 1983 season. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 He was originally drafted No. 48 overall by the Chicago Cubs as a catcher/third baseman out of Auburn University in 2007, but was traded to the A’s the following year as part of the trade for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 The Panthers drafted Young first overall last year. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 LeBron can be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and there is speculation any team wishing to sign him had better commit to draft Bronny this summer or in ‘25. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Volunteers had a chance to help make progress on the journey towards finding a treatment while drafting a collaboration agreement. Anna Chu, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 At the meeting, which took place at the agency’s headquarters in D.C., Whitaker expressed concerns about the company’s quality control and gave Boeing 90 days to draft a plan to address those gaps. Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'draft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English draght; akin to Old English dragan to draw — more at draw

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1714, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of draft was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near draft

Cite this Entry

“Draft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/draft. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

draft

1 of 3 noun
ˈdraft How to pronounce draft (audio)
ˈdrȧft
1
a
: the act of pulling or hauling
b
: the thing or amount pulled
2
: the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
also : the portion drunk or inhaled at one time
3
a
: something represented in words or lines : design, plan
b
: a quick sketch, outline, or version from which a final work is produced
a rough draft of the essay
4
a
: the act of drawing out liquid (as from a barrel)
b
: a portion of liquid drawn out
5
: the depth of water required for a ship to float when loaded
6
: a picking of persons for required military service
7
: an order (as a check) issued by one party to another (as a bank) to pay money to a third party
8
a
: a current of air
b
: a device to regulate an air supply (as in a stove)

draft

2 of 3 adjective
1
: used for pulling loads
draft animals
2
: being a version to be finished later
a draft treaty
3
: being or having been on draft
draft beer

draft

3 of 3 verb
1
: to pick especially for required military service
2
a
: to make a draft of : outline
draft a plan
b
: to put into written form
draft an essay
drafter noun

Medical Definition

draft

noun
variants or chiefly British draught
1
: a portion (as of medicine) poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
2
: a current of air in a closed-in space
drafty adjective
or chiefly British draughty

Legal Definition

draft

1 of 2 noun
1
: a preliminary version of something (as a law)
2
a
: a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for military service)
b
: the act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without his or her expressed consent
3
: an order for the payment of money drawn by one person or bank on another see also drawee, drawer compare check
documentary draft
: a draft that will be honored only upon the presentation of certain documents (as an invoice or certificate of title)
sight draft
: a draft payable on presentation
time draft
: a draft payable a specified number of days after the date of the draft or of its presentation

draft

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to select for some purpose
specifically : to conscript for military service
2
: to compose or prepare especially the preliminary version of
drafting legislation

intransitive verb

: to practice draftsmanship
drafter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on draft

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