draw
Pronunciation: (drô), [key]
— v., n. drew, drawn, draw•ing,
—v.t.
- to cause to move in a particular direction by or as if by a pulling force; pull; drag (often fol. by along, away, in, out, or off).
- to bring, take, or pull out, as from a receptacle or source: to draw water from a well.
- to bring toward oneself or itself, as by inherent force or influence; attract: The concert drew a large audience.
- to sketch (someone or something) in lines or words; delineate; depict: to draw a vase with charcoal; to draw the comedy's characters with skill.
- to compose or create (a picture) in lines.
- to mark or lay out; trace: to draw perpendicular lines.
- to frame or formulate: to draw a distinction.
- to write out in legal form (sometimes fol. by up): Draw up the contract.
- to inhale or suck in: to draw liquid through a straw.
- to derive or use, as from a source: to draw inspiration from Shakespeare.
- to deduce; infer: to draw a conclusion.
- to get, take, or receive, as from a source: to draw interest on a savings account; to draw a salary of $600 a week.
- to withdraw funds from a drawing account, esp. against future commissions on sales.
- to produce; bring in: The deposits draw interest.
- to disembowel: to draw a turkey.
- to drain: to draw a pond.
- to pull out to full or greater length; make by attenuating; stretch: to draw filaments of molten glass.
- to bend (a bow) by pulling back its string in preparation for shooting an arrow.
- to choose or to have assigned to one at random, by or as by picking an unseen number, item, etc.: Let's draw straws to see who has to wash the car.
- to form or reduce the sectional area of (a wire, tube, etc.) by pulling through a die.
- to wrinkle or shrink by contraction.
- to cause to discharge: to draw an abscess by a poultice.
- to obtain (rations, clothing, equipment, weapons, or ammunition) from an issuing agency, as an army quartermaster.
- (of a vessel) to need (a specific depth of water) to float: She draws six feet.
- to leave (a contest) undecided; finish with neither side winning, as in a tie.
- He had to draw spades first in order to make the contract.
- to take or be dealt (a card or cards) from the pack.
- Bridge.to remove the outstanding cards in (a given suit) by leading that suit:He had to draw spades first in order to make the contract.
- to cause (a cue ball) to recoil after impact by giving it a backward spin on the stroke.
- . to haul; cart.
- to search (a covert) for game.
- to play (a ball) with a bat held at an angle in order to deflect the ball between the wicket and the legs.
- to slide (the stone) gently.
- to steep (tea) in boiling water.
- to form or shape (glass) as it comes from the furnace by stretching.
—v.i.
- to exert a pulling, moving, or attracting force: A sail draws by being properly trimmed and filled with wind.
- to move or pass, esp. slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force (often fol. by on, off, out, etc.): The day draws near.
- to take out a sword, pistol, etc., for action.
- to hold a drawing, lottery, or the like: to draw for prizes.
- to sketch or to trace figures; create a picture or depict by sketching.
- to be skilled in or practice the art of sketching: I can't paint, but I can draw.
- to shrink or contract (often fol. by up).
- to make a demand (usually fol. by on or upon): to draw on one's imagination.
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- to act as an irritant; cause blisters.
- to cause blood, pus, or the like to gather at a specific point.
- to produce or permit a draft, as a pipe or flue.
- to leave a contest undecided; tie.
- (of a hound)
- to search a covert for game.
- to follow a game animal by its scent.
- to attract customers, an audience, etc.: Our newspaper advertisement drew very well.
- to pull back the string of a bow in preparation for shooting an arrow.
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- to gradually pass something moving in the same direction.
- Naut.(of the wind) to blow from a direction closer to that in which a vessel is moving; haul forward. Cf. veer1 (def. 2b).
- He drew his hand away from the hot stove.
- to move or begin to move away:He drew his hand away from the hot stove.
- to move farther ahead:The lead runner gradually drew away from his competitor.
- to deplete or be depleted through use or consumption: to draw down crude-oil supplies.
- I heard them debating the point, but I avoided being drawn in.
- to cause to take part or enter, esp. unwittingly:I heard them debating the point, but I avoided being drawn in.
- to make a rough sketch of:to draw in a person's figure against the landscape background.
- to move back or away.
- He sensed winter drawing on.
- to come nearer; approach:He sensed winter drawing on.
- to clothe oneself in:She drew on her cape and gloves.
- Naut.(of a vessel) to gain on (another vessel).
- to utilize or make use of, esp. as a source:The biography has drawn heavily on personal interviews.
- to assume an erect posture.
- You'll find she's quite interesting if you take the trouble to draw her out.
- to pull out; remove.
- to prolong; lengthen.
- to persuade to speak:You'll find she's quite interesting if you take the trouble to draw her out.
- Naut.(of a vessel) to move away from (sometimes fol. by from):The boat drew out from the wharf.
- to take (money) from a place of deposit:She drew her money out of the bank and invested it in bonds.
- to draw up a will.
- to devise or formulate; draft, esp. in legal form or as a formal proposal:to draw up a will.
- to put into position; arrange in order or formation:The officer drew up his men.
- to bring or come to a stop; halt:Their car drew up at the curb.
—n.
- an act of drawing.
- something that attracts customers, an audience, etc.
- something that is moved by being drawn, as the movable part of a drawbridge.
- something that is chosen or drawn at random, as a lot or chance.
- drawing (defs. 5, 6).
- a contest that ends in a tie; an undecided contest.
- Also calleda play in which the quarterback fades as if to pass and then hands the ball to a back, usually the fullback, who is running toward the line of scrimmage.
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- a card or cards taken or dealt from the pack.
- Seedraw poker.
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- a small, natural drainageway with a shallow bed; gully.
- the dry bed of a stream.
- Chiefly Western U.S.a coulee; ravine.
- the pull necessary to draw a bow to its full extent.
- an amount regularly drawn, as from a drawing account.
- a fund, as an expense account or credit line, from which money may be withdrawn when needed.
- the tendency of a tooth of an escape wheel to force toward the center of the wheel a pallet engaging with it.
- to react quicker than an opponent.
- See(def. 7).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.