Oh My Word:Drought, Draught, Draft

We may want to deny this connection and try to believe we control the external world, but every time there's a snowstorm or drought, we know our fate is tied to the world around us.” – Alice Hoffman. Draught (noun) means a current of air in a room (Please close the door…there’s a terrible draught here. A pleasant draught cooled us all down as the train began to chug).

In nautical terms it refers to depth of water needed to float a ship (vessels of shallow draught are possibly easy to handle); one continuous process of swallowing liquid (Take a deep long draught of beer.), figuratively, she took a deep draught of air into her lungs and felt lighter; a game played in the US also called Checkers; on draught is an idiom meaning drawing from a container especially beer from a barrel – winter ale on draught. Draught is also an adjective: draught bitter, draught cider or draught lager. Draught horse is a horse used for pulling loads (pack animals).

Draughts-man (British) and draftsman (US) is a person whose job is to make plans and sketches of machinery, buildings, etc. Person who can draw well (I am no draughtsman). In many firms of architecture, architects hire draughtsman. Draft (noun) is a preliminary written version of something; a group of people selected from a larger group for a special purpose (We are sending a fresh draft of nurses to the worst hit areas. In the US, it means, call up, we have to draft people?) Demand Draft is a written order to a bank to pay money to someone or something – a draft on a State Bank of India, payment of money by means of such an order.

The institute takes only a demand draft for payment from the students. Draft-card is a card in the US that summons a man to serve in the armed forces; draft-dodger is a person illegally evading the draft. Draftee is a conscript. A draught of cool beverage will do well to the body in drought conditions, particularly for d r a f t e e s posted in droughty areas.