n. [ The same word as draught. OE. draught, draht, fr. AS. dragan to draw. See Draw, and cf. Draught. ] 1. The act of drawing; also, the thing drawn. Same as Draught. [ 1913 Webster ]

Everything available for draft burden. S. G. Goodrich. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) A selecting or detaching of soldiers from an army, or from any part of it, or from a military post; also from any district, or any company or collection of persons, or from the people at large; also, the body of men thus drafted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Several of the States had supplied the deficiency by drafts to serve for the year. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An order from one person or party to another, directing the payment of money; a bill of exchange. [ 1913 Webster ]

I thought it most prudent to defer the drafts till advice was received of the progress of the loan. A. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An allowance or deduction made from the gross weight of goods. Simmonds. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A drawing of lines for a plan; a plan delineated, or drawn in outline; a delineation. See Draught. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The form of any writing as first drawn up; the first rough sketch of written composition, to be filled in, or completed. See Draught. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Masonry) (a) A narrow border left on a finished stone, worked differently from the rest of its face. (b) A narrow border worked to a plane surface along the edge of a stone, or across its face, as a guide to the stone-cutter. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Milling) The slant given to the furrows in the dress of a millstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Naut.) Depth of water necessary to float a ship. See Draught. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. A current of air. Same as Draught. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. A quantity of liquid poured out for drinking; a dose. [ PJC ]

12. The act of drawing a quantity of liquid from a large container; also, the quantity of liquid so drawn. [ PJC ]

13. A device for regulating the flow of gases in a chimney, stovepipe, fireplace, etc.; as, to close the chimney draft. It is usually a flat plate of the same internal dimensions as the flue, which can be rotated to be parallel to or perpendicular to the current of gases. [ PJC ]

a. 1. Pertaining to, or used for, drawing or pulling (as vehicles, loads, etc.). Same as Draught; as, a draft horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Relating to, or characterized by, a draft, or current of air. Same as Draught. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The forms draft and draught, in the senses above-given, are both in approved use. [ 1913 Webster ]

Draft box,
Draft engine,
Draft horse,
Draft net,
Draft ox,
Draft tube. Same as Draught box, Draught engine, etc. See under Draught. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Drafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Drafting. ] 1. To draw the outline of; to delineate. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To compose and write; as, to draft a memorial. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To draw from a military band or post, or from any district, company, or society; to detach; to select; especially, to compulsorily select and induct members of a population to serve in the armed forces. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

HotLips Houlihan: How did a degenerate person like him achieve such a position of responsibility in the army? Radar: He was drafted. M*A*S*H (the movie)

Some royal seminary in Upper Egypt, from whence they drafted novices to supply their colleges and temples. Holwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To transfer by draft. [ 1913 Webster ]

All her rents been drafted to London. Fielding. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. writing a first version to be filled out and polished later. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. the craft of drawing blueprints.
Syn. -- mechanical drawing. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. a creation of artistic drawings.
Syn. -- drawing, draftsmanship. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See Draughtsman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the creation of artistic drawings.
Syn. -- drawing, drafting. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a skilled worker who draws plans of buildings or machines.
Syn. -- draftsman, draughtsman. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. not airtight; allowing in currents of air, especially uncomfortably cold air; -- of buildings.
Syn. -- draughty. [ WordNet 1.5 ]