Word of the day: draft

noun.

1. a drawing, sketch, or design.
2. a first or preliminary form of any writing, subject to revision, copying, etc.
3. the act of drawing; delineation.
4. a current of air in any enclosed space, especially in a room, chimney, stove or window.
5. a current of air moving in an upward or downward direction.
6. a device for regulating the current of air in a stove, fireplace, etc.
7. an act of drawing or pulling loads.
8. something that is drawn or pulled; a haul.
9. an animal or team of animals used to pull a load.
10. the force required to pull a load.
11. the taking of supplies, forces, money, etc., from a given source.
12. a written order drawn by one person upon another; a writing directing the payment of money on account of the drawer; bill of exchange.
13. a drain or demand made on anything.
14. the drawing of a liquid, such as a draft of beer.
15. an act of drinking or inhaling.
16. something that is taken in by drinking or inhaling; a drink; dose.
17. a selection or drawing of persons, by lot or otherwise, from the general body of the people for military service; levy; conscription.
18. the persons so selected.
19. Sports. a selecting or drawing of new players from a choice group of amateur players by professional teams, especially a system of selecting new players so that each team in a professional league receives some of the most promising players.
20. British. a selection of persons already in military service to be sent from one post or organization to another; detachment.
21. a quantity of fish caught.
22. Nautical. the depth to which a vessel is immersed when bearing a given load.
23. Metallurgy. the slight taper given to a pattern so that it may be drawn from the sand without injury to the mold.
24. Metalworking. the change in sectional area of a piece of work caused by a rolling or drawing operation; a taper on a die or punch permitting it to be withdrawn readily from the work.
25. Masonry. a line or border chiseled at the edge of a stone, to serve as a guide in leveling the surfaces.
26. Textiles. the degree of attenuation produced in fibers during yarn processing, expressed either by the ratio of the weight of raw to the weight of processed fiber, or by the ratio between the varying surface speeds of the rollers on the carding machine; the act of attenuating the fibers.
27. an allowance granted to a buyer for waste of goods sold by weight.

verb.

1. to draw the outlines or plan of; sketch.
2. to draw or pull.
3. to draw up in written form; compose.
4. to take or select by draft, especially for military service.
5. Masonry. to cut a draft on.
6. to follow in the wake, as in a race.

[note: I like this word for it’s numerous definitions. An easy word, but as an exercise try to remember all the ways it can be used.]