draw

present singular third person draws · participle present drawing · past drew · participle past drawn · colloquial nonstandard participle past drew · first person past singular drew · archaic present second person singular drawest · past second person singular drew · archaic past second person singular drewest · present singular third person draws · archaic present singular third person draweth · past singular third person drew · past plural drew · past subjunctive drew · participle present drawing · participle past drawn

1. Senses relating to exerting force or pulling.
   1. formaloftentransitiveTo pull (someone or something) in a particular direction or manner.First known use 8th c.

      He drew a sheaf of papers from his bag.

      2 more examples

      Lys shuddered, and I put my arm around her and drew her to me; and thus we sat throughout the hot night. She told me of her abduction and of the fright she had undergone, and together we thanked God that she had come through unharmed, because the great brute had dared not pause along the danger-infested way.

      1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter VIII, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC

      At the last moment Mollie, the foolish, pretty white mare who drew Mr. Jones's trap, came mincing daintily in, chewing at a lump of sugar.

      1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC

      Synonyms: tug, yank, attract, hale, heave, lug, pull, schlep

   2. transitiveTo move (a body part) in a particular direction.First known use 13th c.

      She settled in the window seat, drawing her leg up beneath her.

   3. transitiveOften followed by tight: to pull (something, such as a belt or string) so that it tightens or wraps around something more closely.First known use 17th c.

      She took a deep breath and drew her corset-strings.

   4. transitiveTo drag (something), especially along the ground.

      Seals […] throw their bodies forward, drawing their hinder-parts after them.

      1697, William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC

      Synonyms: hale, haul, drag, hale, lug, schlep, tug

   5. transitiveTo pull (blinds, a curtain, etc.) open or closed.First known use 13th c.

      She drew the curtains to let in the sunlight.

      2 more examples

      You should draw the curtains at night for privacy.

      It is realised that the old Pullman standard sleeper, with its convertible "sections", each containing upper and lower berths, and with no greater privacy at night than the curtains drawn along both sides of a middle aisle, has had its day.

      1944 November and December, “"Duplex Roomette" Sleeping Cars”, in Railway Magazine, page 324

   6. transitiveTo pull out (a bolt or latch) to unlock a door, gate, etc.; also, to push in (a bolt or latch) to lock a door, gate, etc.
   7. transitiveChiefly followed by aside or to one side: to move (someone) away from a group of people in order to speak to them privately.
   8. reflexivetransitiveTo assume a specific attitude or position, either by pulling in or stretching out one's body or limbs.First known use 17th c.

      He drew himself to his full height and glowered at the interloper.

   9. figurativelytransitiveTo cause (a body part) to contract or shrink; also, to pull (the mouth, the face or features, etc.) out of shape from emotion, etc.; to distort.First known use 14th c.

      How long her face is drawn!

      1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]

   10. archaicfigurativelytransitiveTo cause (someone or something) to go from one place to another, or from one condition to another.
   11. archaicfigurativelytransitiveTo construct (a canal, wall, etc.) from one point to another.First known use 15th c.

       the huge Offa's dike which he drew from the mouth of Wye to that of Dee

       1874, John Richard Green, A Short History of the English People

   12. figurativelytransitiveball gamesTo strike (the cue ball) below the centre so as to give it a backward rotation which causes it to move backwards on striking another ball.First known use 19th c.
   13. figurativelytransitivebowlsTo cause (a bowl) to move in a curve to a certain place.
   14. archaicfigurativelytransitiveball gamesOf a batter: to hit (a ball) from the off side to the leg side, especially with an inclined bat; also, to hit (a short-length ball directed at the leg stump) with an inclined bat so as to deflect the ball between the legs and the wicket.First known use 19th c.
   15. figurativelytransitiveball gamesTo play (a shot or a stone) that lands in the house (“circular target”).First known use 18th c.
   16. figurativelytransitivegolfTo hit (the ball) with the toe of the club so that it is deflected toward the left (or, for a left-handed player, toward the right, originally in an uncontrolled and now a controlled manner.First known use 19th c.

       1 more example

       […] the golfer thinks, “Ah! To draw the ball, I must be like the old pros and incorporate hand action through impact, twisting the clubhead to the left.” All you have to do to apply the spin needed to draw the ball left is to create a very small conflict between the clubface aim and the path the clubhead is traveling.

       2013, Nick Bradley, Kinetic Golf

   17. figurativelytransitivenauticalOf a vessel: to require (a certain depth of water) to float in.First known use 15th c.

       This ship draws ten feet of water.

   18. historicaltransitiveTo drag (someone) by tying behind a horse or on a frame as a form of punishment or torture, or to bring to a place of execution.

       And if any manner of perſon attempted to moue the King to infringe any parte of thys ordynaunce, and that being knowne, for the firſt time, he ſhould be depriued of his goodes and poſſeſſions, and for the ſecond time, to be drawen thorough the Citie, and ſo put to execution as an arrant traytor.

       1569, Richard Grafton, “Richarde the Seconde”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, page 351

   19. historicaltransitiveTo kill someone as a form of punishment or torture by tearing apart (their body) by tying their limbs to horses which run in different directions; also, to tear (the limbs) from someone's body in this manner.
   20. transitivearcheryTo pull back (an arrow or bowstring) in preparation for shooting the arrow; also, to cause (a bow) to bend by pulling back the bowstring.First known use 12th c.
   21. transitivearithmeticTo subject (a number) to an arithmetic operation.
   22. transitivefishingto haul in (a fishing net) which has been cast; also, to drag (a fishing net) alongside a boat.
   23. archaictransitivenauticalTo hoist (a sail).
   24. UKregionaltransitiveTo carry (a load) in a vehicle; to cart, to haul.
   25. obsoletetransitiveTo sew together (the edges of a tear); also, to mend (a hole or tear) in fabric.
   26. obsoletetransitiveTo use (a draught animal) to pull a plough or vehicle.
   27. figurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo attribute (something) to a person or thing; to ascribe.

       Synonyms: attach, impute, lay, accredit, ascribe, attach, attribute, chalk up to

   28. figurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo change (something) into another thing; to convert, to transform.

       Synonyms: shift, transfigure, convert, develop, evolve, metamorphize, metamorphose, reconvert

   29. figurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo convert (a passage) from one literary style to another (for example, from prose to verse); or to translate (a text) from one language to another.
   30. figurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo direct (one's heart, thoughts, etc.) in a certain way or towards someone or something.
   31. figurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo give (courage, strength, etc.) to oneself; to summon up; also, to produce (evil, wickedness, etc.) in oneself.
   32. figurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo give (words) a certain meaning, especially one which is distorted; to distort, to misrepresent.
   33. figurativelyobsoletetransitivecookingFollowed by through: to pass (food) through a strainer.
   34. figurativelyobsoletetransitivecookingTo mix (an ingredient) with another ingredient or ingredients to form a liquid or paste; to mix (ingredients) together to form a liquid or paste.
   35. intransitiveTo be (able to be) pulled in a particular direction or manner.
   36. intransitiveOf blinds, a curtain, etc.: to be pulled open or closed.
   37. figurativelyintransitivebowlsOf a bowl: to move in a curve to a certain place.
   38. figurativelyintransitiveball gamesTo make a shot that lands in the house.
   39. figurativelyintransitivenauticalFollowed by an adverb, such as deep or shallow: of a vessel: to require a depth of water of a certain characteristic to float in.

       Greater hulks draw deep.

       c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]

   40. archaicintransitiveEspecially of a draught animal: to pull something, such as a plough or vehicle, along; to have force to move something by pulling.First known use 14th c.

       This horse draws well.

   41. archaicintransitiveOf a plough or vehicle: to be pulled along in a specified manner.First known use 19th c.

       The carriage draws easily.

   42. archaicintransitiveTo become contracted; to shrink.First known use 17th c.

       water[…] will shrink or draw into less room

       1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

   43. intransitivearcheryTo pull back an arrow or bowstring in preparation for shooting the arrow; also, to cause a bow to bend by pulling back the bowstring.
   44. ScotlandarchaicfigurativelyintransitiveTo work together towards a common aim; to cooperate, to pull together; also, to have a good relationship with; to get on with.
   45. intransitiveobsoleteTo be dragged along; to drag.
   46. intransitiveobsoleteTo pull at something; to tug.

       […] No rogue e'er felt the halter [i.e., the hangman's noose] draw, with a good opinion of the law, and perhaps my own detestation of the law arises from my having frequently broken it.

       1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad

2. Senses relating to attracting.
   1. transitiveTo induce (the attention, the eyes or mind, etc.) to be directed at or focused on something.First known use 9th c.

      His mind was drawn back to the events of the preceding morning.

      2 more examples

      From the moment she entered the room, all eyes were drawn to her.

      Handsignalmen, where needed, ought to wear a conspicuous orange/yellow cape (like many road workmen) to draw attention to them.

      1964 April, “Letters: Rethinking emergency procedures”, in Modern Railways, page 274

   2. transitiveTo attract or cause (someone) to come to a particular place or to take a particular course of action; also, to cause (someone) to turn away from a particular condition or course of action.First known use 12th c.

      A place like the Right Livers' Rest was bound to draw freaks, same as molasses draws flies.

      1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC

      1 more example

      The restaurant was packed, and the promenade between the two main courts and the subsidiary courts was thronged with healthy-looking youngish people, drawn to the Mecca of tennis from all parts of the country.

      1935, George Goodchild, chapter 5, in Death on the Centre Court

      Synonyms: bring, convince, procure, bring round, convict, convince, gain over, persuade

   3. transitiveTo attract (something) by means of a physical force, especially gravity or magnetism.First known use 14th c.

      Keep a watch upon the particular bias which nature has fixed in their minds, that it may not draw too much.

      1711 August 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “THURSDAY, July 27, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 128; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC

      1 more example

      These following bodies do not draw: smaragd, achates, corneolus, pearl, jaspis, chalcedonius, alabaster, porphyry, coral, marble, touchstone, haematites, or bloodstone […]

      1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

      Synonyms: pull, allure, attract

   4. transitiveTo attract or provoke (a particular reaction or response) from someone.First known use 16th c.

      The president’s comments have drawn strong criticism from right-wing media outlets.

      Synonyms: evoke, induce, rouse, abet, actuate, goose, fuel, light a fire under

   5. transitiveTo cause (something) to occur as a consequence; to bring about.First known use 14th c.

      In a desperately tight opening set, the pace and accuracy of the Serbian's groundstrokes began to draw errors from the usually faultless Nadal and earned him the first break point of the day at 5-4.

      2011 July 3, Piers Newbury, “Wimbledon 2011: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in final”, in BBC Sport

      Synonyms: cause, effectuate, implement, produce

   6. transitiveFollowed by on or upon: to bring (disaster or misfortune) on oneself.
   7. transitiveTo receive (a particular prison sentence).
   8. transitiveTo take (air, smoke, etc.) into the lungs; to breathe in, to inhale.First known use 13th c.

      I drew a deep breath and wiped my brow.

      2 more examples

      Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. […] She put back a truant curl from her forehead where it had sought egress to the world, and looked him full in the face now, drawing a deep breath which caused the round of her bosom to lift the lace at her throat.

      1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

      So always look on the bright side of death, / Just before you draw your terminal breath.

      1979, Monty Python, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

   9. transitiveTo cause (air) to be sucked into a duct, a room, etc.
   10. archaictransitiveTo drag or suck deeply on (a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement).
   11. transitiveTo attract or provoke gunfire, either intentionally or unintentionally.
   12. intransitiveTo attract or influence a person or group of people; to be an inducement or enticement.
   13. intransitiveTo take a drink of a beverage, especially an alcoholic one; to swig.
   14. intransitiveOf a duct, smoking implement, etc.: to allow air to be passed through it in order that combustion can occur.First known use 18th c.

       The chimney won’t draw properly if it’s clogged up with soot.

   15. intransitiveFollowed by at or on: to drag or suck deeply on a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement.
   16. intransitiveChiefly followed by about or around: of a group of people: to come together; to assemble, to congregate, to gather.
3. Senses relating to extending or protracting.
   1. transitiveTo make (something) larger or longer; to elongate, to stretch.First known use 14th c.

      The dough was run through the pasta machine and drawn into a long ribbon.

   2. transitiveFollowed by out: to flatten (a piece of metal), usually by hammering.
   3. transitiveTo make (wire) by pulling a rod or other piece of metal through one or more apertures; also, to stretch (a rod or other piece of metal) into a wire.First known use 13th c.

      to draw a mass of metal into wire

   4. transitiveTo make (straw straight for thatching by pulling it through the hands.
   5. obsoletetransitiveTo amount to (a certain quantity or sum).
   6. obsoletetransitiveTo extend the duration of (something); to prolong.First known use 10th–19th c.
   7. obsoletetransitiveTo stretch (someone) on a rack as a form of punishment or torture.
   8. intransitiveTo be made larger or longer; to be elongated or stretched.
   9. intransitiveTo make straw straight for thatching by pulling it through the hands.
   10. intransitivenauticalOf a sail: to fill with wind and become taut.First known use 17th c.

       The ship’s sail drew when the wind blew strongly.

       1 more example

       Then he stepped the mast and, with the stick that was his gaff and with his boom rigged, the patched sail drew, the boat began to move, and half lying in the stern he sailed south-west.

       1952 September 1, Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 97

   11. intransitiveobsoleteTo amount to a certain quantity or sum.
   12. intransitiveobsoleteTo extend in area or space; to spread, to stretch.
4. Senses relating to extracting or selecting.
   1. transitiveTo extract (a tooth); to pull.First known use 16th c.
   2. transitiveTo extract (juice, oil, or some other fluid) from something by osmosis, pressure, or another process.First known use 16th c.

      Spirits, by distillations, may be drawn out of vegetable juices, which shall flame and fume of themselves.

      1705, George Cheyne, Philosophical Principles of Religion Natural and Revealed

   3. transitiveTo extract (a small amount of liquid, especially blood) by puncturing a surface, or by using a pipette, syringe, or other suction device.

      The cat scratched her, drawing blood.

   4. transitiveTo leave (tea) temporarily in water to allow the flavour to increase; to infuse, to steep.First known use 18th c.
   5. transitiveTo pull out (a firearm, sword, or other weapon) from a holster, sheath, etc.; to unsheathe.First known use 12th c.

      They drew their swords and fought each other.

      2 more examples

      Matthew Garth woulda let Tom Dunstan drill him insteada drawin’ against him.

      1982, Paul Radley, My Blue-Checker Corker and Me, Sydney: Fontana/Collins, page 16

      Pensak made an inarticulate shout of surprise, and O stepped away from the sudden precipice so hard that she collided with the back of the elevator, and yelped. Both of them drew their weapons, as they were trained to do when confronted with the unknown, and there was something almost touchingly naïve about that. About drawing down on a featureless void.

      2024 September 8, HarryBlank, “Next to Nothing”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 05 Oct 2024

   6. transitiveTo take (a beverage) from a cask or keg using a pump or tap; to tap.
   7. transitiveTo take up (water) from a well or other source, especially by lifting in a container or pumping.First known use 13th c.

      to draw water from a well using a bucket

   8. transitiveTo soak up (a liquid, etc.); to absorb; specifically, of an organism (especially a plant) or one of its parts: to take in (nutrients, water, etc.).
   9. transitiveOf a channel, drain, etc.: to carry (water) away.
   10. historicaltransitiveChiefly in draw and quarter and hang, draw and quarter: to disembowel (someone), especially after hanging as a punishment for high treason.First known use 13th c.
   11. transitivecookingTo remove the viscera from (an animal, especially a bird) before cooking.

       In private draw your poultry, clean your tripe.

       1709, William King, The Art of Cookery

   12. archaictransitivemedicineTo attract (humours, pus, etc.), chiefly by bringing to the surface of the body, so it can be dispersed or removed; also, to treat (a wound) in this way.First known use 14th c.
   13. transitivebusinessTo raise (coal or ore) from an underground mine to the surface.
   14. transitiveTo select (one or more things) at random from a collection of similar things to decide which of a group of people will receive something such as a prize, or undergo something such as an assignment; also, to select (someone) by this process; to win (a prize) in a lottery or lucky draw.First known use 14th c.

       The winning lottery numbers were drawn every Tuesday.

       3 more examples

       Provided magistracies were filled by men freely chosen or drawn.

       1784, Edward Augustus Freeman, An essay on parliamentary representation, and the magistracies of our boroughs royal: […]

       In the drawing of lots, my sister drew her own room, and I drew Master B.'s.

       1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House

       Well, he was up in Wyoming / And drew a bull no man could ride / He promised her he'd turn out / Well, it turned out that he lied

       1995, Garth Brooks, Dan Roberts, Bryan Kennedy, “The Beaches of Cheyenne”, in Fresh Horses, performed by Garth Brooks

   15. transitiveTo conduct, or select the winning numbers, tickets, etc., for, (a lottery).First known use 16th c.
   16. transitiveTo remove the contents of (something, especially a kiln or oven); to empty.
   17. transitiveTo fill a bathtub with (water for a bath); to run (a bath).First known use 19th c.
   18. archaictransitiveTo withdraw (something); specifically (gambling), to withdraw (a bet or wager); also (horse racing), to withdraw (a horse) from a race.First known use 17th c.

       Go, wash thy face, and draw thy action.

       1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

   19. UKarchaicregionaltransitiveagricultureOf a plant or its roots: to deplete (soil) of nutrients.
   20. transitiveagricultureTo separate (sheep) from a flock for a particular purpose, such as breeding or selling.
   21. transitivecard gamesTo be dealt or to take (a playing card) from the deck; also, to have (a particular hand) as a result of this.First known use 16th c.

       At the start of their turn, each player must draw a card.

   22. transitivefishingTo fish by dragging a fishing net along (a shore) or in (a body of water).
   23. transitivehobbiesTo search (a covert, a wood, etc.) for game or a quarry.

       “Gave us a jolly good run. Viewed him across Gamley Heath, drew Meddington Big Wood, and then we lost him. Daddy was livid.”

       1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 65

   24. transitivehobbiesTo end (a game or match) with neither side winning, that is, in a draw.First known use 17th c.

       I drew my last game against him.

       1 more example

       The game is won when a player places any of his pieces on the same square with his opponent's Princess, or when a Chief takes a Chief. It is drawn when a Chief is taken by any opposing piece other than the opposing Chief;[…]

       1922, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Chessmen of Mars, HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2010

   25. transitiveball gamesIn a match scheduled to last for a certain period of time: to end (a match) with neither side winning because the team batting last has not completed its innings when the playing time concludes.First known use 17th c.
   26. historicaltransitivebusinessTo separate (a length of lace made by machine) into sections by removing the threads connecting the sections.
   27. NorthernScotlandtransitiveTo take milk from (a cow); to milk.
   28. obsoletetransitiveagricultureTo separate (seeds) from the husks of clover or trefoil; also, to separate seeds from the husks of (clover or trefoil).
   29. obsoleteraretransitiveball gamesTo take (a wicket).
   30. obsoletetransitivefalconryTo remove (a hawk) from a mew after it has moulted.
   31. obsoletetransitivethieves' cantTo steal (something) from a person, especially by picking a pocket; also to pick the pocket of (someone); to steal from (a place).
   32. analogousTo consume (power).

       The circuit draws three hundred watts.

   33. To take (something) from a particular source, especially of information; to derive.First known use 13th c.

       She draws her subject matter from the events of her own life.

       2 more examples

       He drew comfort from the thought that he was not the first to suffer this way.

       [Chappell] Roan draws from the mega-pop of the 2010s, from Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift – then laces it with sexually frank asides and lavish doses of camp, and performs it with a maximalist, absurd aesthetic indebted to drag, John Waters and Freddie Mercury.

       2024 August 9, Laura Snapes, “It’s a femininomenon! How Chappell Roan slow-burned her way to stardom”, in The Guardian

   34. To call forth (something) from a person, to elicit.First known use 14th c.

       I had thought, sir, to have held my peace until / You have drawn oaths from him not to stay.

       c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]

   35. To deduce or infer (a conclusion); to make (a deduction).First known use 16th c.

       He tried to draw a conclusion from the facts.

       1 more example

       We do not draw the moral lessons we might from history.

       1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC

   36. To receive (a salary); to withdraw (money) from a bank etc.First known use 16th c.

       to draw money from a bank

   37. To elicit information from (someone); to induce (a person) to speak on some subject. (Now frequently in passive.)First known use 19th c.

       He refused to be drawn on the subject

   38. intransitiveTo pull out a firearm, sword, or other weapon from a holster, sheath, etc.
   39. intransitiveTo take up water from a well or other source, especially by lifting it in a container or pumping it.

       The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.

       1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 4:11

   40. intransitiveTo select one or more things at random from a collection of similar things to decide which of a group of people will receive or undergo something.
   41. intransitiveTo leave tea temporarily in water to allow the flavour to increase; to infuse, to steep; also, of a teapot: to cause tea to infuse.

       Tea is much nicer if you let it draw for more than two minutes before pouring.

       2 more examples

       "There's your tay set for you an' drawin' nicely this minute, Miss Ethel," called old Bridget from the hall.

       1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 207

       She made a pot of very strong tea, and while she was waiting for it to draw she opened the kitchen door to inspect her garden.

       1984, Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac, Penguin, published 2016, page 119

   42. intransitiveOf a bathtub: to be filled with water for a bath; to be run.
   43. intransitiveOf a channel, drain, etc.: to carry water away.
   44. intransitiveOf a liquid: to drain away, to percolate.
   45. archaicintransitivemedicineTo treat a wound by attracting humours, pus, etc., chiefly by bringing such material to the surface of the body, so it can be dispersed or removed.
   46. intransitivecard gamesTo be dealt or to take a playing card from the deck.

       Jill has four diamonds; she’ll try to draw for a flush.

   47. intransitivedominoesTo take a domino from the stock.
   48. intransitivehobbiesTo end a game or match with neither side winning, that is, in a draw; to tie.

       We drew the last time we played.

   49. intransitiveobsoleteTo take alcoholic beverages from casks or kegs in an inn or tavern; to work as a drawer or barman.
   50. intransitiveobsoletefalconryTo remove a hawk from a mew after it has moulted.
5. Senses relating to moving or travelling.
   1. archaicreflexiveTo move in a specific direction.First known use 12th c.

      She thought she heard a noise in her chamber, and she drew herself within the casement.

      1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho

   2. intransitiveTo move steadily in a particular direction or into a specific position.First known use 13th c.

      The end of the world draws near.

      3 more examples

      The runners drew level with each other as they approached the finish line.

      Draw near to the fire and I will tell you a tale.

      Heavy clouds drew together above our heads.

   3. To come to, towards (a particular moment in time); to approach (a time).First known use 14th c.

      As it drew towards evening, I packed up and headed for home.

      1 more example

      As the war drew to its end, it became evident that repairs and rebuilding in the heavily blitzed Greater London area would be so extensive as to afford opportunity for effective large-scale planning.

      1962 October, “The Victoria Line was only part of the plan”, in Modern Railways, page 258

   4. archaichobbiesTo search for game; to track a quarry.First known use 16th c.

      On one of my expeditions, after a stormy night, at the end of March, the hounds drew all day without finding a fox.

      1928, Siegfried Sassoon, Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Penguin, published 2013, page 87

6. Senses relating to depicting or representing.
   1. transitiveTo produce (a figure, line, picture, representation of something, etc.) with a piece of chalk, a crayon, a pen, a pencil, or other instrument.First known use 14th c.

      He had drawn a mural on the wall of his apartment.

      3 more examples

      A flattering painter, vvho made it his care / To dravv men as they ought to be, not as they are.

      1774, [Oliver] Goldsmith, Retaliation: A Poem. […], new (2nd) edition, London: […] G[eorge] Kearsly, […], →OCLC, page 10

      Can I untouch'd the Fair ones Paſſions move? / Or Thou draw Beauty, and not feel it's Pow'r?

      1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “To Mr. Howard: An Ode”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, stanza I, page 70

      Sepia Delft tiles surrounded the fireplace, their crudely drawn Biblical scenes in faded cyclamen blending with the pinkish pine, while above them, instead of a mantelshelf, there was an archway high enough to form a balcony with slender balusters and a tapestry-hung wall behind.

      1963, Margery Allingham, chapter III, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC

   2. transitiveTo carve or shape (something) by cutting off thin pieces.
   3. transitiveTo make (a comparison or contrast) between two or more things; to compare; to contrast, to distinguish.
   4. transitiveOften followed by on or upon and the person or institution providing the money: to write (a bill, cheque, or draft) to authorize payment of money.
   5. transitiveNow chiefly in the form draw up: to compose or write (a piece of text, especially a formal document).First known use 14th c.

      to draw a memorial, a deed, or bill of exchange

      1 more example

      Clerk, draw a deed of gift.

      c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]

   6. figurativelytransitiveTo depict (something) linguistically; to portray (something) in words; to describe.First known use 14th c.

      Her first novel contained a host of characters who were richly and convincingly drawn.

   7. transitiveagricultureTo create (a furrow) by pulling a plough through soil.
   8. obsoletetransitiveTo arrange or devise (something); to contrive.
   9. obsoletetransitiveTo produce (a three-dimensional figure of something); to model, to mould, to sculpt.
   10. intransitiveTo produce an image of something with a piece of chalk, a crayon, a pen, a pencil, or other instrument; to make a drawing or drawings.First known use 15th c.

       When I came in she was drawing on a big piece of coloured paper.

alternative obsolete drawe

1. archeryPull back your bowstring in preparation to shoot.

plural draws · alternative obsolete drawe

1. countableuncountableThat which draws: that which attracts e.g. a crowd.

   After It, Clara became one of the top box-office draws in Hollywood, but her popularity was short lived.

   2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 1, 27

   1 more example

   At the mountain’s base is the leafy suburb of Kowloon Tong. It has never been a big tourist draw, but in the decade since territorial control returned to China, this quintessentially Hong Kong neighborhood has had many more visitors — and important changes.

   2007 June 24, Joyce Hor-Chung Lau, “Hong Kong Is Reshaped by Mainlanders”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Jun 2015, Asia Pacific

2. The act of drawing:
   1. countableuncountableThe act of drawing a gun from a holster, etc.

      the Wild West's quick-draw champion

   2. countableuncountableThe procedure by which the result of a lottery is determined.

      The draw is on Saturday.

      1 more example

      Having spent more than £500,000 on players last summer, Crawley can hardly be classed as minnows but they have still punched way above their weight and this kind of performance means no-one will relish pulling them out of the hat in Sunday's draw.

      2011 January 29, Chris Bevan, “Torquay 0 - 1 Crawley Town”, in BBC

   3. countableuncountablearcheryThe act of pulling back the strings in preparation of firing; the distance the strings are pulled back.

      This configuration offered the capacity for an exceptionally long draw – Manchu archers drew all the way back to the point of the right shoulder[…]

      2016 August 25, Mike Loades, The Composite Bow, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 21

3. The result of drawing:
   1. countableuncountableThe result of a contest that neither side has won.

      The game ended in a draw.

      Synonyms: tie, stalemate

   2. countableuncountableball gamesThe result of a two-innings match in which at least one side did not complete all their innings before time ran out (as distinguished from a tie).
4. countableuncountableThat which is drawn (e.g. funds from an account).

   They're going to take away our draw! (referring to e.g. disability assistance)

   1. countableuncountableIn a commission-based job, an advance on future (potential) commissions given to an employee by the employer.
5. countableuncountableDraft: flow through a flue of gasses (smoke) resulting from a combustion process, possibly adjustable with a damper.

   She looked in [to the stove] and a tight, dismayed gasp escaped her. She slammed the door shut and adjusted the draw with trembling fingers. For a moment—just a moment—she had seen her old friend Annabelle Frane in the coals.

   1981, Stephen King, Do the Dead Sing?

6. countableuncountablehobbiesThe spin or twist imparted to a ball etc. by a drawing stroke.
7. countableuncountablegolfA golf shot that (for the right-handed player) curves intentionally to the left. See hook, slice, fade.
8. countableuncountableball gamesA shot that is intended to land gently in the house (the circular target) without knocking out other stones; cf. takeout.
9. countableuncountablegeographyA dry stream bed that drains surface water only during periods of heavy rain or flooding.

   The garden, curiously enough, was a quarter of a mile from the house, and the way to it led up a shallow draw past the cattle corral.

   1918, Willa Cather, My Ántonia, paperback edition, Mirado Modern Classics, page 15

   Synonyms: wash, arroyo, wadi, dry creek

10. countableslangA bag of cannabis.

    So my friends and I would all chip in money to get a bag of weed or a draw.

    2011, Yvonne Ellis, Daughter, Arise: A Journey from Devastation to Restoration, page 54

    1 more example

    I'm twenty-something young with my priorities straight / I need to buy a booze and I need to buy a draw

    2025, “Young”, performed by Little Simz

11. slanguncountableCannabis.

    Selling draw to your mates but it's really Oxo cubes.

    2003, “Soap Bar”, in The Manifesto, performed by Goldie Looking Chain

    1 more example

    Mick spoke to Simon, who was more of a drinker. He said that people who smoked draw were boring.

    2017, Michael Coleman, Old Skool Rave, page 139

12. countableuncountablecard gamesA situation in which one or more players has four cards of the same suit or four out of five necessary cards for a straight and requires a further card to make their flush or straight.

    The player to your left immediately raises you the minimum by clicking the raise button. This action immediately suggests that he's on a draw

    2007, Ryan Wiseman, Earn $30,000 Per Month Playing Online Poker: A Step-By-Step Guide to Single, page 82

13. countableuncountablehobbiesThe stall from which a horse begins the race.