draft

[[t]drɑ͟ːft, dræ̱ft[/t]]

♦♦♦

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