What does draught mean?
Draught is a noun with several related meanings, all rooted in the idea of something being drawn or pulled. Its most common sense is a current of air moving through a room or building, often an unwelcome chilly one — hence items like draught excluders. It also refers to beer or cider served from a cask rather than a bottle ('on draught'), to the pulling power of a draught horse or ox, to a single dose of liquid medicine, and to the pieces used in the board game draughts (known as checkers in North America). In British English, draught doubles as a spelling variant of 'draft' for preliminary versions of texts, although 'draft' now dominates that use on both sides of the Atlantic. The word carries a traditional, somewhat literary flavour in modern usage, and its pronunciation differs by region: /drɑːft/ in Britain and /dræft/ in America.
A current of air, typically an unwelcome cold one, moving through an enclosed space such as a room or vehicle.
"He sealed the window frame to stop the persistent draught."
This is the dominant everyday sense in British English; American English normally uses 'draft' here.
Beer, cider, or another drink served from a cask or keg rather than from a bottle or can.
"They only serve that cider on draught during the autumn festival."
The action or capacity of pulling or hauling, as in a draught horse or ox used to pull carts or ploughs.
"A pair of shire horses provided the draught for the plough."
A measured amount of liquid, especially a dose of medicine, drunk at one time.
"The physician prescribed a soothing draught to be taken each night."
Somewhat archaic or literary today.
The plural follows the regular English pattern. Note that 'draughts' is also the British name of the board game known as checkers in North America.
"Old cottages like this one are notorious for their draughts."
The same word that keeps cold air out of your house also fills your pint — 'draught' comes from the Old English word for pulling, whether you're pulling air through a gap or beer from a barrel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of draught
Draught derives from Old English 'dragan', meaning to draw or pull, and is essentially a phonetic spelling of the same Middle English form that produced 'draft'; the two spellings diverged over time into different preferred uses. Cognates include 'draw', 'drag', and 'dray', all descending from the same Germanic root relating to pulling or hauling. The spelling with -augh- reflects Middle English orthographic habits influenced by French scribal conventions. The word has been in continuous use since the medieval period, accumulating its many senses around the core notion of drawing — air through a room, liquid from a cask, a load along the ground.
Related word forms
How draught is actually used
In British English, 'draught' is the usual spelling for air currents and beer drawn from a cask, though 'draft' increasingly appears in informal writing. In American English, 'draft' is used for nearly all senses. The spelling 'draught' can feel slightly formal or traditional.
Easily confused with draught
'Draft' is the standard American spelling and also the preferred spelling for banking drafts, conscription, and preliminary written versions even in British English, while 'draught' is chiefly British and favoured for currents of air, draught animals, and beer served from a cask.