draught

/dræft/

Other forms: draughts; draughted; draughting

If you're chilly, you might close a window that's letting in a draught. Draught is the British spelling of the word draft.

The noun draught is pronounced exactly like draft, and it also shares most of the same meanings. A cold burst of wind, a swig or a serving of a drink, the act of pulling a heavy load, and the depth of a ship below the surface of the water: each of these can be called a draught. It's easy to confuse the British draught with drought, which means "a shortage of rainfall" and rhymes with "out."

Definitions of draught

1. noun

   a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg
   synonyms: draft, potation, tipple

   types:

   quaff

   a hearty draft

   type of:

   drink

   a single serving of a beverage
2. noun

   a large and hurried swallow
   synonyms: draft, gulp, swig

   type of:

   deglutition, drink, swallow

   the act of swallowing
3. noun

   a dose of liquid medicine
   synonyms: draft

   type of:

   dosage, dose

   a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time
4. noun

   a current of air (usually coming into a chimney or room or vehicle)
   synonyms: draft

   types:

   updraft

   a strong upward air current

   downdraft

   a strong downward air current

   type of:

   air current, current, current of air, wind

   air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
5. noun

   the act of moving a load by drawing or pulling
   synonyms: draft, drawing

   type of:

   pull, pulling

   the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you
6. noun

   the depth of a vessel's keel below the surface (especially when loaded)
   synonyms: draft

   type of:

   deepness, depth

   the extent downward or backward or inward
7. verb

   make a blueprint of
   synonyms: blueprint, draft

   type of:

   design, plan

   make a design of; plan out in systematic, often graphic form