draw

1 verb past tense drew, past participle drawn PICTURE/DESCRIPTION

1 WITH PENCIL (I, T) to make a picture of something with a pencil or pen: Can I draw your portrait? | I've never been able to draw well. | draw sb sth/draw sth for sb: Hans drew her a map showing her how to get there.

2 DESCRIBE (T) to describe something in speech or writing: the vividly drawn character of Heathcliff

MOVE

3 MOVE IN ONE DIRECTION (intransitive always + adv/prep) to move steadily in a particular direction: draw towards/past etc: We watched from the deck as their boat drew alongside.

4 draw near/close to move closer in time or space: Maria grew anxious as the men drew closer. | Christmas is drawing near.

5 draw level to move into a position where you are equal to someone else in a race, game, or competition: Black drew level with the other runners.

6 PULL (transitive always + adv/prep) to make someone or something move by pulling them gently: draw aside/up/across etc: Drawing the covers around her, Zoe curled up in bed. | Hussain drew me aside to whisper in my ear.

7 draw the curtains to open or close the curtains

8 PULL A VEHICLE (T) if an animal draws a vehicle, it pulls it along: a carriage drawn by six horses

9 TAKE OUT (transitive always + adv/prep) to take something out of a container, cover etc: draw sth out/from etc: Smedley drew some papers from his pocket.

10 draw a gun/pistol/sword etc to take a weapon from its container or from your pocket: Jack drew his knife with a flourish.

11 draw a tooth/cork/nail to pull a tooth etc out

GET/CAUSE STH

12 GET STH IMPORTANT (T) to get something that you need or that is important from someone or something: I drew a lot of comfort from her kind words. | Plants draw nourishment from the soil.

13 GET A REACTION to get a particular kind of reaction from someone because of something you have said or done: draw praise/criticism etc (from): Reagan's remarks drew an angry response from the Democrats. | draw fire (from) (=be criticized): The new proposals drew fire from all sides for being elitist.

MAKE COMPARISON/JUDGMENT

14 draw a comparison/analogy etc to compare two things, people, ideas etc: Do you think we can draw a parallel between the two novels?

15 draw a distinction/line etc to say that you think two things are different and show why you think so: We have to draw a line between fantasy and reality.

16 draw a conclusion/moral etc (from sth) to decide that a particular fact or principle is true after thinking carefully about it: Now that you've heard the evidence, you can draw your own conclusions.

MAKE SB NOTICE

17 draw sb's attention (to sth) to deliberately make someone notice something: I'd like to draw your attention to the no smoking rule.

18 draw sb's eye if something draws your eye, it is so interesting that you notice it: The intentness of his gaze drew all eyes towards him.

MONEY

19 FROM YOUR BANK ACCOUNT also draw out (T) to take money from your bank account: Hughes had drawn $8000 in cash from a bank in Toronto.

20 BE PAID (T) to receive an amount of money regularly from your employer or from the government: How long have you been drawing unemployment benefit?

21 draw a cheque (on sth) BrE draw a check (on sth) AmE to write a cheque for taking money out of a bank: a check drawn on a Swiss bank

AIR/WATER

22 LIQUID (T) to take water, beer etc from a well or container

23 INTO YOUR LUNGS (T) to take air or smoke into your lungs: draw breath: I was having trouble just drawing breath, but Meg ran on up the hill.

24 FIRE/CHIMNEY (I) if a fire or chimney draws, it lets the air flow through to make the fire burn well

BY CHANGE

25 PLAYING CARD/TICKET (I, T) to choose a card, ticket etc by chance: I drew the ace of spades.

26 draw the short straw used to say that someone has been unlucky because they were chosen by chance to do an unpleasant job: I'm only here because I drew the short straw.

27 draw lots to decide who will do something by taking pieces of paper etc out of a container: We drew lots to see who would go first.

28 be drawn against sb BrE to be chosen by chance to play or compete against someone

STOP/END

29 draw to a halt/stop if a vehicle draws to a halt, it slows down and stops

30 draw to a close/end if an event or a period of time draws to a close etc, it ends or finishes

31 draw a line under sth to say that something is completely finished: The agreement draws a line under the recent rail dispute.

SPORT

32 GAME (I, T) especially BrE to end a game or match without either side winning: They drew 3-3. | Inter drew with Juventus last night.

33 draw a bow to bend a bow 3 (1) by pulling back the string in order to shoot an arrow 3 (1)

OTHER MEANINGS

34 (T) to attract someone: Beth felt drawn to this gentle stranger. | draw a crowd: The festival is likely to draw huge crowds.

35 draw the line (at sth) to refuse to do something because you disapprove of it: I'd really like to help you, but I draw the line at lying.

36 draw a blank informal to be unsuccessful, especially when you have been trying to find information or the answer to a problem: Detectives hunting the missing girl have drawn a blank.

37 PERSUADE SB (transitive usually passive) to persuade someone to talk about something: She refused to be drawn on the subject of her divorce.

38 draw blood to make someone bleed

39 draw breath to find time to have a rest when you are busy: I didn't have time to draw breath this morning.

40 draw a veil over sth to deliberately keep something unpleasant or embarrassing from being known: It might be best to draw a veil over Peter's past for now.

41 SHIP technical if a ship draws a certain depth, it needs that depth of water to float in

—see also: be at daggers drawn dagger (3) draw back phrasal verb (I)

1 to move yourself away from something: He drew back in horror when he saw the cuts on her face.

2 to be afraid or unwilling to do something

(+ from): The company drew back from making a firm commitment. draw in phrasal verb

1 (I) if the days or nights draw in, it gets dark earlier in the evening and so there are fewer hours of daylight: In October the nights start drawing in.

2 (transitive usually passive) to involve someone in something, often when they do not really want to take part: draw sb in: We invited Al along to our meetings but he was wary of getting drawn in.

3 draw your horns in BrE to spend less money because you have financial problems

draw sb into sth phrasal verb (T) to involve someone in something, often when they do not really want to take part: Homeless children often get drawn into crime. draw sth off phrasal verb (T) to remove some liquid from a larger supply: We had to draw off some water from the radiator. draw on phrasal verb

1 draw on a cigarette/cigar etc to breathe in smoke from a cigarette etc

2 (T) to use money, experiences etc for a particular purpose: draw on/upon sth: It was a challenge but luckily we had the expertise to draw on. | draw on your savings: I had to draw on my savings to pay for the repairs.

3 (I) if a period of time draws on, it comes nearer: Winter is drawing on.

draw out phrasal verb

1 (T) to make someone feel less nervous and more willing to talk: draw sb out: Try to draw the new boy out a bit if you can.

2 (T) to make an event last longer than usual

(draw sth out): The final questions drew the meeting out for another hour.

3 (I) if the days draw out, it stays light until later in the evening and so there are more hours of daylight: It's nice when the days start drawing out again.

draw up phrasal verb

1 LIST/CONTRACT ETC (T) to prepare a written document: draw sth up: They drew up a list of candidates.

2 VEHICLE (I) to arrive somewhere and stop: The taxi drew up at the gate.

3 draw up a chair (T) to bring a chair closer to someone or something: Ben drew his chair up to the fireplace.

4 draw yourself up (to your full height) to stand up very straight because you are angry or determined about something: Drawing himself up to his full height, he ordered me out of the room.

5 draw up your knees to bring your legs closer to your body: I found him rolling on the floor in pain, with his knees drawn up to his chest.

6 SOLDIERS (transitive usually passive) to arrange people in a special order: draw sth up: troops drawn up in ranks

2 noun (C)

1 especially BrE a game that ends with both teams having the same number of points

2 the act of choosing a winning number, ticket etc in a lottery (1): Bill picked the winning number on the first draw.

3 a performer, show, sports team etc that a lot of people are willing to pay to see: Whitney Houston is always a big draw.

4 quick/fast on the draw

a) able to pull a gun out quickly in order to shoot

b) good at reacting quickly and intelligently to difficult questions or in difficult situations: Amit was very quick on the draw in his interview.

—see also: the luck of the draw luck 1 (15)