What does draughtproof mean?
Draughtproof means to seal a building, room, doorway, or window against draughts — unwanted currents of outside air that slip through gaps and cracks. As a verb, it describes the practical work of fitting seals, brush strips, excluders, or caulk around openings so that cold air cannot get in and heated air cannot escape. As an adjective, it describes the resulting state, as in a draughtproof door or a fully draughtproof house. The term belongs firmly to the vocabulary of home improvement, energy conservation, and building maintenance, and it carries connotations of cosiness, thrift, and environmental responsibility, since sealing a home reduces heating bills and carbon emissions. It is spelled with 'draught' in British English but usually rendered 'draftproof' in American English. Closely related to weatherproofing and insulation, draughtproofing is often cited as one of the cheapest and most effective ways to make an older property warmer and more energy-efficient.
To seal a building or part of one against draughts, typically by filling or blocking gaps around doors, windows, and other openings.
"They draughtproof the entire farmhouse each autumn before the cold sets in."
Usually used transitively, with the building or opening as the object.
(Of a door, window, room, or building) constructed or sealed so that draughts cannot pass through.
"The replacement windows are double-glazed and completely draughtproof."
The word 'draught' here is the same word as in chess and beer on tap — it originally just meant something drawn or pulled, like air being dragged through a gap under your door.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of draughtproof
The compound combines 'draught' and 'proof', using 'proof' in its long-standing English sense of 'resistant to' or 'impervious to', as in waterproof and fireproof. 'Draught' derives from Old English 'dragan', meaning to draw or pull, via Middle English 'drawght', referring to something drawn — hence its senses covering pulled loads (as in a draught horse), drawn liquid (beer on draught), drawn air currents, and even pieces 'drawn' across a board in chess. The spelling 'draught' reflects sixteenth- and seventeenth-century orthography, while American English later regularized it to 'draft'. Words such as drag, draw, dray, and dredge share this same Germanic root.
Related word forms
How draughtproof is actually used
'Draught' is the British spelling; American English typically uses 'draft', giving 'draftproof', though 'weatherstrip' is the more common US term for the practice. The compound is practical and domestic rather than literary, appearing mostly in home-improvement, DIY, and energy-efficiency contexts.
Easily confused with draughtproof
Droughtproof means resistant to prolonged dry conditions (a matter of water supply), while draughtproof means sealed against moving air (draught = a current of cold air).