draw /dr<revc>:/ v. Pa. t. drew /dru:/; pa. pple drawn / dr<revc>:n/.[OE dragan = ON draga, OFris. draga, OS dragan (Du. dragen), OHG tragan (G tragen) , Goth. (ga)dragan.]I Cause to move, pull.1 a v.t. Cause (something) to move towards, or past a part of, oneself by the application of force; pull. OE. b v.t. & i. Pull (something, esp. a vehicle or its load) so as to make it follow along behind; Hist. drag (a criminal) on a hurdle etc. to the place of execution. Formerly also fig., agree (with); be in a like situation with. ME.c v.i. Be drawn; admit of being drawn. M17.<unknown>2 v.t. Tear apart; pull in pieces, asunder. ME–E18.3 a v.t. & i. Pull back the string of (a bow) ready to shoot; pull back (the arrow) on the string; hoist (a sail); pull up (a drawbridge); pull out (a bolt, an organ- stop); haul in (a net). ME.b v.t. Pull (a veil etc.) over something so as to conceal it; pull (a curtain, blinds) open or shut. LME.4 v.t. Cause to come, move, or go (from or to some place, position, or condition); lead, bring, take, convey, put. obs. exc. as assoc. with other senses. ME.<unknown>5 v.t. Render into another style of writing; translate. ME–M16.<unknown>6 v.t. fig. Adduce, appeal to for confirmation; assign, attribute; turn aside to a purpose, pervert. ME–E18.7 v.t. & i. Contract, shrink; pull or become out of shape or place. Usu. as DRAWN a. LME.<unknown>8 v.t. Construct (a ditch, canal, wall) from one point to another. LME–L18.<unknown>9 v.t. Pass (food) through or through a strainer; bring to the required consistency thus. LME–L18.<unknown>10 Operate on (a number) with one of the processes of arithmetic: add to, together; multiply into; subtract out of. LME–E19.11 v.t. Naut. Of a ship: require (a specified depth of water) for floating. M16.<unknown>12 v.t. Bring (the edges of a tear etc.) together by sewing; mend (a rent). L16–E17.13 v.t. In various games, direct or divert (a ball) in some way; spec. in Cricket (now rare), divert (the ball) to the on side of the wicket with the bat; Golf drive (the ball) purposely to the left of a right-handed player or vice versa; Bowls cause (the bowl) to travel in a curve to the desired point. M19.1a ADDISON He drew a Paper of Verses out of his Pocket.F. BURNEY I..drew my hat over my face.G. GREENE Josef..drew the string on which the revolver dangled a couple of inches higher.I. MCEWAN He took her wrist and drew her into the street.refl.: W. C. RUSSELL Wilfrid..drew himself erect.b SHAKES. Oth. Think every bearded fellow that’s but yok’d May draw with you.D. BAGLEY There were carts pushed by hand or drawn by donkey.3a AV 1 Kings 22:34 A certain man drew a bow at a venture.W. LONGMAN He then drew the bolt, the door was opened.T. H. WHITE Boys..are inclined to catch hold of the nock of the arrow when they draw.4 T.
HERBERT Hee..drawes his forces against Rantas.
W. IRVING He hastened to draw him from the seductions of the garden.
11 J. CONRAD She drew too much water to cross the bar.II Come; go.
14 v.i. Come together; move or make one’s way towards; also w. advs. in specialized senses (see below). Formerly without adv. or advb. phr.: move, come, go. OE. <unknown>15 v.refl. Go towards or to; withdraw from. ME–E17.<unknown>16 v.i. Tend, approach, to or towards some condition, state, etc. ME–E17.17 v.i. Move in time to or towards an event, a particular time, etc. ME.18 v.i. Hunting. Of a hound etc.: track game by its scent; move slowly towards the game after pointing. (Foll. by after, on, upon.) L16.19 v.i. Gradually get further away from or gain on an antagonist or competitor in a race etc. E19.15 W. RALEIGH As their people increased, they drew themselves more westerly towards the Red sea.16 R. KNOLLES Of a darke colour, somewhat drawing toward a violet.17 B. JOWETT The days of Socrates are drawing to a close.III Take in; attract.20 a v.t. Take (a breath); take (air etc.) into the lungs. See also draw breath s.v. BREATH. ME.b v.i. Of a chimney, pipe, etc.: promote or allow a current of air through it. Of a smoker: suck at a pipe etc. M18.21 v.t. Attract by physical force, as a magnet; tend to become covered or affected with (rust etc.). ME.22 a v.t. Attract (a person) by affecting his or her inclination, sympathies, etc.; cause (the mind, eyes, etc.) to become directed to, from, etc., or attracted; lead (a person) into, from, etc. (a course of action, condition, etc.). ME.b v.i. Exercise allurement or attraction; prove an attraction; attract crowds. L16.23 v.i. & †t. Gather together, collect, assemble. ME.24 v.t. Cause (an enemy etc.) to fall on or upon a person; bring (disaster etc.) on or upon; bring about as a result, bring on. ME.25 v.t. Induce (a person) to do. M16.20b F. MARRYAT The fire does not draw well.R. CHANDLER I finished filling the pipe, put a match to it, got it drawing.21 E. KIRKE The rod draws the electricity from the air.fig.: J. TILLOTSON The blessings it will draw down upon us.22a ADDISON To draw the Eyes of the World upon her.THOMAS HUGHES It is wonderful..how you feel drawn to a man who feeds you well.L. J. JENNINGS A great bereavement..drew his mind from public affairs.G. GREENE I feel an enormous desire to draw attention to myself.S. BELLOW He did not want to be drawn into a quarrel.b J. R. LOWELL Mr. Emerson always draws.23 A. RADCLIFFE Our desolate party drew round it.24 T. MARTIN Rage drew on Thyestes the vengeance of heaven.25 M. LASKI One of the things that had drawn him to ask her to dance.IV Take out; deprive.26 a v.t. Remove or extract (an object) from what it is fixed or embedded in; esp. take (a playing-card or suit) from a pack. (Foll. by from.) ME.b v.t. & i. Take (a weapon) from a sheath or holster in readiness for immediate use. ME.27 a v.t. & i. Pull or take (one thing) from a number in order to decide something by chance; obtain or win (something) in this way. ME.b v.t. Set apart (sheep) from a flock; separate (seeds) from the husks. L15.28 a v.t. & †i. Raise (water) from a well etc. by hauling or pumping; obtain (beer etc.) from a cask or (water) from a tap; run (a bath); cause (blood) to flow from an incision etc. ME.b v.t. Extract (liquor, juice, etc.) by suction, pressure, infusion, or distillation. M16.c v.i. Of tea: infuse. E19.29 a v.t. Take or obtain from a source; derive; deduce, infer, (a conclusion). ME.b v.t. Take, receive, or obtain (money) from a source of supply. L16.c v.i. Obtain information, resources, etc., from. E19.30 v.t. Cause to come out or appear; elicit, evoke; spec. cause (a particular playing- card) to be played by another player. ME.31 v.t. Extract something from; empty, drain, exhaust, deplete; spec. disembowel (a fowl etc., Hist. a criminal after hanging) . ME.b Remove coals from (a fire, furnace, etc.). E19.32 v.t. Drag or pull a net through or along (a river etc.) for fish; search (a wood etc.) for game. LME.33 v.t. & i.a Cause a flow of (blood, matter, etc.) to a particular part of the body; promote suppuration. LME.b Drain off or away, esp. by means of a channel. E17.<unknown>34 v.t. Withdraw (stakes, a racehorse, etc.). L16–M19.35 v.t. Force (a badger or fox) from its hole. M19.36 v.t. Elicit information or conversation from (a person). colloq. M19.37 v.t. Rouse (a person) to action, speech, or anger; irritate, exasperate. colloq. M19.38 v.t. & i. Finish (a game etc.) with no one a winner or scores equal. (Earlier as DRAWN ppl a. 2.) M19.26 T. HARDY He drew the corks of the mineral waters.H. ROTH He would draw several of her teeth.E. BOWEN He kept drawing long black horsehairs from the seat of his chair.b R. JARRELL He drew a big revolver and he shot me.27a STEELE Neither of them had drawn the Thousand Pound.W. MORRIS We..shared the spoil by drawing short and long.TOLKIEN They now drew lots for the watches.28a H. ROBBINS He..walked over to the sink, and drew a glass of water.c F. TUOHY The two women..waited for the Indian tea to draw.29a A. FLEMING The stocke from whence he draweth his descent.Daily Telegraph Gilt-edged investors were looking a bit happier.., drawing comfort from the improving pound.b B. PYM Letty had been retired for a week and had drawn the first payment of her pension.32 A. EDEN Hounds were drawing the home coverts.33 R. D. BLACKMORE His poultice began to draw.36 J. SIMMS I tried to involve him in a political discussion,..but he refused to be drawn.V Extend.39 v.t. Pull out to a greater length; extend, lengthen; prolong, protract. Usu. foll. by out. ME.b Make (wire) by drawing metal through successively smaller holes; elongate and attenuate (a sliver of cotton etc.) by passage through pairs of rollers revolving at successively greater speeds. E16.<unknown>40 v.t. & i. Amount to or to. LME–M16.41 v.i. Naut. Of a sail: swell out tightly with the wind. E17.39 T. ELLWOOD I Prayed often, and drew out my Prayers to a great length.P. THEROUX A man melting tubes of glass and drawing them thin.VI Make, depict.42 a v.t. Trace (a line or figure), make (a picture), by drawing a pen, pencil, etc., across a surface; cut (a furrow) with a ploughshare. ME.b v.i. Draw pictures, practise the art of drawing. M16.c v.t. Represent by a drawing, depict; fig. represent in words, describe. L16.43 = draw up (b) below. Formerly also, write (a story), compose (a song). ME.<unknown>44 v.t. Devise, contrive; set in order, arrange. M16–M17.45 v.t. Shape or carve (stone, wood, etc.) by shaving thin slices off it. M17.46 v.t. Write out (a cheque etc.) in due form to authorize payment. (Foll. by on, upon the person etc. that has to pay.) M17.47 v.i. Draw a cheque etc. on or upon a person etc.; call on or upon a person for or for funds, or any source for or for something. L17.48 v.t. Make, formulate, (a comparison, contrast, distinction, etc.). L18.42a J. RHYS She took a sharp stick and drew lines and circles on the earth under the tree.43 L. STEPHEN Langton had employed Chambers..to draw his will.44 F. HAWKINS The matter of any Book or Science, drawn into Indexes or Tables.47 P. ACKROYD There were few intellectual models upon which to draw.V. GLENDINNING Edith was drawing deeply on her childhood memories for this poetry.Phrases: draw a bead on: see BEAD n. 4c. draw a blank fail in a search; elicit no response. draw a veil (over): see VEIL n. 5. draw bit, draw bridle, draw rein check one’s horse or (fig.) oneself. draw breath: see BREATH. draw bridle: see draw bit above. draw in one’s horns: see HORN n. draw it mild fig. [f. drawing beer] be moderate, not exaggerate. draw level (with) come from behind to a position alongside in a race etc. draw one’s steel: see STEEL n.1 draw pig on pork, draw pig on bacon: see PIG n.1 draw one’s sword against take up arms against, attack (lit. & fig.). draw rein: see draw bit above. draw steel: see STEEL n.1 draw straws: see STRAW n. draw stumps: see STUMP n.1 draw the badger: see BADGER n.2 1. draw the cloth arch. remove the tablecloth after a meal, clear away. draw the line at: see LINE n.2 draw the longbow: see LONG a.1 draw the short straw: see STRAW n. draw the stumps: see STUMP n.1With advs. in specialized senses: draw back move backwards from one’s position, fig. withdraw from an undertaking. draw down (a) make (metal, plastic) thinner by hammering, stretching, etc.; (b) make a drawing of (a loan), borrow. draw forth evoke. draw in (a) entice (to do); deceive, take in; persuade to take part; make to include in a conversation; (b) draw tight, cause to shrink; (c) (of a day) approach its end, (of night) approach, (of successive evenings) become shorter; (d) (of a train etc.) enter a station; (of a vehicle) move towards the side of the road; (e) = sense 20a above. draw near (to) approach (lit. & fig.). draw off (a) withdraw (troops); move off; (b) drain away by a tap etc., esp. without disturbing the bottom or sediment of the liquid. draw on (a) come near; (b) bring on, involve as a consequence; (c) entice, allure; (d) pull on (a garment etc.). draw out (a) = draw up (b) below; (b) elicit, evoke; (c) lead out, detach, or array (troops); (of troops) move out of camp etc.; (d) induce to talk; (e) (of successive days) grow longer; (f) (of a train etc.) leave a station; (of a vehicle) move away from the side of the road. draw up (a) bring (esp. troops) or come into regular order; (b) compose (a document), esp. in a formally correct way; write out in due form; (c) come up with, come close to; gain on or overtake an antagonist in a race; (d) bring or come to a halt, pull up; (e) make oneself stiffly erect; (f) take up with (a person).