draft
US for draught noun (COLD AIR)
Can you shut the door? There's a draft in here.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
draft
American English for draught, draughty
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
draft
I. draft1 S2 W3 AC /drɑːft $ dræft/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: ⇨ ↑draught1]
1. PIECE OF WRITING a piece of writing or a plan that is not yet in its finished form:
the rough draft of his new novel
I read the first draft and thought it was very good.
All parties eventually approved the final draft (=finished form) of the peace treaty.
2. MILITARYthe draft American English
a) a system in which people are ordered to join the army, navy etc, especially during a war SYN conscription
b) the group of people who are ordered to do this
3. MONEY especially British English a written order for money to be paid by a bank, especially from one bank to another
4. SPORTS American English a system in which professional teams choose players from colleges to join their teams
5. COLD AIR/BEER the American spelling of ↑draught
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ the first/second etc draft The second draft of the agreement contained a few important changes.
▪ the final draft (=the finished form) He showed me the final draft of his letter.
▪ a rough draft (=not the finished form) Could you let me see a rough draft of your report?
▪ the original draft (=the first one) The hero had a different name in the original draft of the story.
▪ an early/earlier draft (=written before others) In earlier drafts of the speech, he criticized the pace of political progress.
▪ a preliminary draft (=coming before others) A preliminary draft of the charter has been issued.
■ verbs
▪ write/draw up/prepare a draft (=write one) Always write a rough draft of your essay first. | He drew up a draft of the club’s rules and regulations.
▪ approve a draft (=officially accept one) The draft was approved by the Senate.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
draft
draft AW [draft drafts drafted drafting] noun, adjective, verb [drɑːft] [dræft]
noun
1. countable a rough written version of sth that is not yet in its final form
• I've made a rough draft of the letter.
• This is only the first draft of my speech.
• the final draft (= the final version)
• The legislation is still in draft form.
• a draft constitution/treaty/agreement
2. countable (finance) a written order to a bank to pay money to sb
• Payment must be made by bank draft drawn on a UK bank.
3. the draft singular (especially US) = conscription
4. singular (NAmE) a system in which professional teams in some sports choose players each year from among college students
• He was the fourth player chosen in the 2007 draft, but the first of his class to reach the major leagues.
5. countable (NAmE) = draught
• Can you shut the door? There's a draft in here.
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent.: phonetic spelling of draught.
Culture:
In the US the draft refers to the US government’s Selective Service system, in which young people were required by law to serve in the armed forces. It was replaced in 1973 by a system in which people may join the forces only if they wish to. However, young men must still add their names to the draft list when they are 18, in case of a future military emergency. People who tried to avoid the draft, especially during the Vietnam War, were known as draft dodgers.
note at national service
.
Thesaurus:
draft noun C
• This is only the first draft of my speech.
plan • • design • • blueprint •
a rough draft/plan
the orginal/first/final draft/plan/design/blueprint
draw up/produce a draft/plan/design
Example Bank:
• I finished the first draft in late August 2007.
• I sent an early draft to an agent.
• She produced an initial draft of her plans.
• The document is still in draft form.
• The preliminary draft of the agreement has been approved.
• The students were invited to submit drafts for feedback.
• These details were not included in the preliminary draft.
• Is this the final draft?
• The original drafts for the new building are with the architects.
• There is a rough draft of how the park should be laid out.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
draft / drɑːft / / dræft / noun [ C ] (PLAN)
B2 a piece of text, a formal suggestion, or a drawing in its original state, often containing the main ideas and intentions but not the developed form:
This is only a rough draft - the finished article will have pictures as well.
She asked me to check the (first) draft of her proposal.
draft / drɑːft / / dræft / noun (MILITARY)
the draft [ S ] mainly US ( UK conscription ) the system of ordering people by law to join the armed forces:
He avoided the draft because of a foot injury.
draft / drɑːft / / dræft / noun [ C ] (MONEY)
a written order for money to be paid by a bank, especially to another bank:
I arranged for some money to be sent from London to Madrid by banker's draft.
draft / drɑːft / / dræft / noun [ C ] (COLD AIR)
US for draught noun (COLD AIR)
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
draft
[drɑ͟ːft, dræ̱ft]
♦♦♦
drafts, drafting, drafted
1) N-COUNT: usu with supp A draft is an early version of a letter, book, or speech.
I rewrote his rough draft, which was published under my name...
I faxed a first draft of this article to him.
...a draft report from a major US university.
...a draft law.
2) VERB When you draft a letter, book, or speech, you write the first version of it.
[V n] He drafted a standard letter to the editors...
[V n] The legislation was drafted by House Democrats.
3) VERB: usu passive If you are drafted, you are ordered to serve in the armed forces, usually for a limited period of time. [mainly AM]
[be V-ed into n] During the Second World War, he was drafted into the US Army...
[be V-ed] He wasn't drafted for the war; he volunteered for the Navy.
Syn:
conscript
4) VERB If people are drafted into a place, they are moved there to do a particular job.
[be V-ed in/into n] Extra police have been drafted into the town after the violence...
[V n in/into n] The manager will make a special plea to draft the player into his squad as a replacement. [Also be V-ed]
5) N-SING: the N The draft is the practice of ordering people to serve in the armed forces, usually for a limited period of time. [mainly AM]
...his effort to avoid the draft.
Syn:
conscription
6) N-COUNT: oft by N A draft is a written order for payment of money by a bank, especially from one bank to another.
The money was payable by a draft drawn by the home...
Ten days later Carmen received a bank draft for a plane ticket.
7) → See also draught
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1draft /ˈdræft, Brit ˈdrɑːft/ noun, pl drafts
1 [count] : a version of something (such as a document) that you make before you make the final version
• The published poem differs quite a bit from earlier drafts.
• I just completed a rough draft [=a first version that needs a lot of editing and rewriting] of my speech.
• The final draft [=the final version] is due tomorrow.
2 US draft or Brit draught [count] : cool air moving in a closed space (such as a room)
• You may want to seal the windows with plastic to stop drafts.
3 [count] US
a : a system in which young people are required to join the armed forces of a country for a period of service - usually singular
• There is debate about whether the country needs a draft.
• Congress reinstated the draft.
- often used before another noun
• He burned his draft card.
• He's a draft dodger. [=a person who illegally avoids joining the armed forces]
b : a system by which professional sports teams choose players from college or high school teams - usually singular
• He was chosen in the first round of the draft.
- often used before another noun
• draft day
• He was a first-round draft pick.
4 US draft or Brit draught [count] formal + literary : an act of drinking something also; : the amount swallowed at one time
• He took a big draft of beer.
5 US draft or Brit draught [count] : a beer that is stored in and poured from a large container
• The bar has 15 different drafts on tap.
6 : an order for the payment of money from a person or bank to another person or bank
[count]
• The bank issued a draft.
[noncount]
• Payment must be made by bank draft.
7 US draft or Brit draught technical
a : the depth of water that a boat needs in order to be able to float
[count]
- usually singular
• a boat with a deep/shallow draft
[noncount]
• a ship with 45 feet of draft
b [noncount] : the depth of the water in a river, channel, etc.
• a canal/channel that provides 60 feet of draft
8 draught [count] Brit : 2checker
on draft US or Brit on draught of beer : stored in and poured from a large container instead of in individual bottles or cans
• The bar has beer on draft. [=on tap]
