[draw] vb drew ; drawn ; draw.ing [ME drawen, dragen, fr. OE dragan; akin to ON draga to draw, drag] vt (bef. 12c) 1: to cause to move continuously toward or after a force applied in advance: pull "~ your chair up by the fire": as a: to move (as a covering) over or to one side "~ the drapes" b: to pull up or out of a receptacle or place where seated or carried "~ water from the well" "drew a gun"; also: to cause to come out of a container "~ water for a bath"
2: to cause to go in a certain direction (as by leading) "drew him aside" 3 a: to bring by inducement or allure: attract "honey ~s flies" b: to bring in or gather from a specified group or area "a college that ~s its students from many states" c: bring on, provoke "drew enemy fire" d: to bring out by way of response: elicit "drew cheers from the audience" e: to receive in the course of play "the batter drew a walk" "~ a foul"
4: inhale "drew a deep breath"
5. a: to extract the essence from "~ tea" b: eviscerate "plucking and ~ing a goose before cooking" c: to derive to one's benefit "drew inspiration from the old masters"
6: to require (a specified depth) to float in "a ship that ~s 12 feet of water"
7. a: accumulate, gain "~ing interest" b: to take (money) from a place of deposit c: to use in making a cash demand "~ing a check against his account" d: to receive regularly or in due course "~ a salary"
8. a: to take (cards) from a stack or from the dealer b: to receive or take at random "drew a winning number" 9: to bend (a bow) by pulling back the string 10: to cause to shrink, contract, or tighten 11: to strike (a ball) so as to impart a backward spin 12: to leave (a contest) undecided: tie 13 a (1): to produce a likeness or representation of by making lines on a surface "~ a picture" "~ a graph with chalk" (2): to give a portrayal of: delineate "a writer who ~s characters well" b: to write out in due form "~ a will" c: to design or describe in detail: formulate "~ comparisons" 14: to infer from evidence or premises "~ a conclusion" 15: to spread or elongate (metal) by hammering or by pulling through dies; also: to shape (as plastic) by stretching or by pulling through dies ~ vi 1: to come or go steadily or gradually "night ~s near"
2. a: to move something by pulling "~ing at the well" b: adj -- draw a bead on : to take aim at -- draw a blank : to fail to gain a desired object (as information sought); also: to be unable to think of something -- draw on or draw upon : to use as a source of supply "drawing on the whole community for support" -- draw straws : to decide or assign something by lottery in which straws of unequal length are used -- draw the line or draw a line 1: to fix an arbitrary boundary between things that tend to intermingle
2: to fix a boundary excluding what one will not tolerate or engage in
[2]draw n (1663) 1: the act or process of drawing: as a: a sucking pull on something held with the lips b: a removal of a handgun from its holster "quick on the ~" c: backward spin given to a ball by striking it below center--compare follow
2: something that is drawn: as a: a card drawn to replace a discard in poker b: a lot or chance drawn at random c: the movable part of a drawbridge
3: a contest left undecided or deadlocked: tie
4: one that draws attention or patronage
5. a: the distance from the string to the back of a drawn bow b: the force required to draw a bow fully
6: a gully shallower than a ravine 7: the deal in draw poker to improve the players' hands after discarding 8: a football play that simulates a pass play so a runner can go straight up the middle past the pass rushers