draw /drö/ transitive verb (pat drew /droo/; pap drawn)- To pull
- To drag
- To pull along
- To bring forcibly towards or after one
- To pull into position
- To pull back
- To pull back the string of
- To pull together or away
- To take (eg a raffle ticket) at random from a number
- To entice, attract
- To coax into giving information
- To encourage to talk freely (usu draw out)
- To inhale
- To take out
- To unsheathe
- To withdraw
- To cause to flow out
- To evoke or bring out by some artifice
- To extract by pulling
- To extract the essence of
- To eviscerate
- To pull through a small hole, as in making wire
- To deduce
- To lengthen
- To extend to the full length
- To force to appear (eg to force a badger from its hole)
- To receive or take from a source or store
- To demand by a draft
- To get by lot
- To trace
- To construct in linear form
- To make a picture of by drawing lines
- To describe
- To put into shape, to frame
- To write out (eg a cheque)
- To require as depth of water for floating
- To finish without winning or losing
- To deflect the ball with the inside edge of the bat (cricket)
- To hit (the ball) intentionally in such a way that it moves from right to left in the air (if right-handed) or from left to right (if left-handed) (golf)
- To deliver (a bowl) so that it moves in a curve to the point aimed for (bowls)
- To deliver gently (curling)
- To force one's opponents to play (all their cards of a suit, esp trumps) by continually leading cards of that suit (bridge, etc)
- To hit (the cue ball) so that it recoils after striking another ball (snooker, etc)
- In a foundry, etc, to remove (a pattern) from a mould
intransitive verb- To pull
- To practise drawing
- To move
- To make one's way, go
- To resort
- To approach
- To make a draught
- (of a flue, etc) to have a good current of air
- To act as drawer
- To draw a card, a sword or lots
- To infuse
- To end a game without winning or losing
- To move in a curve to the point aimed for (bowls)
noun- The act of drawing
- Assignment by lot of prizes, opponents in a game, etc
- Anything drawn
- A drawn or undecided game
- An attraction
- A drawer (of a chest of drawers; US)
- A running play that is disguised to look like a passing play (American football)
ORIGIN: OE dragan; cf drag drawˈable adjective draweeˈ noun - The business or person on whom a bill of exchange is drawn
- The bank on which a cheque is drawn
drawˈer noun - A person or thing that draws
- The person who signs a cheque or bill of exchange
- Someone who draws beer or fetches liquor in a tavern
- /drör/ a thing drawn out, such as the sliding box in a chest of drawers
- (in pl) a close-fitting undergarment for the lower part of the body and the legs
drawˈing noun - The art of representing objects or forms by lines drawn, shading, etc
- A picture in lines
- The act of assigning by lot
- The act of pulling, etc
drawˈings plural noun Any monies or other assets taken by the owner of a business, or paid by the business on the owner's behalf drawn adjective - Pulled together
- Closed
- Neither won nor lost
- Unsheathed
- Eviscerated
- Strained, tense
- Etiolated (botany)
- Pulled out, lengthened, as in cold drawn (engineering)
drawˈback noun - A disadvantage
- A receiving back of some part of the duty on goods on their exportation
drawˈbar noun - A sliding bar
- A bar used in coupling railway vehicles (also dragˈ-bar and draughtˈ-bar)
drawbar outfit noun A lorry, whether or not articulated, with a trailer drawˈ-boy noun - Orig the boy who pulled the cords of the harness in figure-weaving
- A mechanical device for this purpose
drawˈbridge noun - A bridge that can be drawn up or let down as required
- Bridge played by two people, with two dummy hands, not exposed
drawˈdown noun - A reduction, diminution
- The withdrawing of funds up to a specified limit, esp (income drawdown) the withdrawal of money from one's pension fund (finance)
drawˈ-gear noun The apparatus by which railway-cars are coupled draw hoe noun A hoe designed for pulling soil towards one, having a flat blade at about right angles to the handle drawing board noun - A board, or a tilting surface attached to a desk, to which paper can be attached for drawing on
- The planning stage of a project, etc (figurative)
drawˈing-frame noun A machine in which carded wool, cotton or the like is drawn out fine drawˈing-knife noun A knife with a handle at each end, used by a cooper for shaving hoops by drawing it towards him drawˈing-master noun drawing paper noun drawˈing-pen noun drawˈing-pencil noun drawing pin noun A short broad-headed pin for fastening paper to a drawing board, etc drawing room noun - In engineering, a room where plans and patterns are drawn
- See also separate entry
drawˈing-table noun (also draw-leaf table, draw-table and draw-top table) a table that can be extended in length by drawing out sliding leaves drawˈ-net same as dragnet (see under drag). drawnˈ-threadˈ work or drawn work noun Ornamental needlework done by pulling out some of the threads of a fabric drawˈ-plate noun A plate supporting dies for drawing wire or tubing drawˈ-sheet noun (in nursing) a sheet that can be drawn out from under a patient drawˈ-string or drawˈstring noun A string or cord, etc, in a casing in or threaded through material, by which the material may be drawn or gathered up adjective Having or closed by such a string draw-table, draw-top table see drawing-table above. drawˈ-tube noun A tube sliding within another, as in a form of telescope drawˈ-well noun A well from which water is drawn up by a bucket and apparatus at daggers drawn Openly hostile draw a bead on see under bead draw a blank - Literally, to get a lottery ticket that wins no prize
- To get no result
draw a cover (or covert) To send the hounds into a cover to frighten out a fox draw attention to see under attention draw back - To recoil
- To withdraw
draw blank To draw a cover, but find no fox draw down (US) To remove (troops) from a place where they have been stationed draw, hang and quarter see under hang draw in - To reduce, contract
- To become shorter
- (of nights) to begin earlier with the change of season
draw it fine To be too precise draw it mild (informal) To refrain from exaggeration draw near To approach draw off - To cause to flow from a barrel, etc
- To withdraw
draw on - To approach
- To pull on
draw on or upon - To make a draught upon
- To make a demand upon (eg one's credulity, patience or resources)
- To draw one's weapon against
draw on one's imagination To make imaginative or lying statements draw on one's memory - To try to remember
- To make use of what one remembers
draw out - To leave the place (of an army, etc)
- To lengthen
- To entice into talk and self-expression
draw rein To slacken speed, to stop draw someone's attention to see under attention draw stumps To end play in cricket by removing the wickets draw the cloth, board or table (archaic) To clear up after a meal draw the line - To fix a limit
- To find finally and positively unacceptable
draw the long bow see under bow2 draw the teeth of To make harmless draw to a head To mature draw up - To form in regular order
- To compose, put into shape
- To stop
in drawing Correctly drawn out of drawing Inaccurately drawn, or drawn in violation of the principles of drawing out of the top drawer Of top grade, esp socially top1 /top/ noun- The highest or uppermost part or place
- The highest or most important position (eg in a profession, company, salary scale, scale of authority or privilege, etc)
- The person occupying this position
- The upper edge or surface
- A lid or cover
- A garment for the upper part of a person's (esp a woman's or child's) body
- The highest or loudest degree of pitch
- (in pl; with the) the very best person or thing (informal)
- Top gear
- (esp in pl) the part of a root vegetable that is above the ground
- A handful or bundle of flax, wool, etc, for spinning
- A circus tent (slang; big top the main tent)
- A topsail
- A small platform at the head of the lower mast
- A crest or tuft (nautical)
- A trench parapet
- A top boot (esp in pl)
- Topspin
- The earliest part (as in the Irish greeting top of the morning)
- (in pl) in oil-refining, the first part of a volatile mixture to come off in the distillation process
- A stroke that hits the upper part of the ball (golf)
adjective- Highest
- Best
- Most important, able, etc
- Very good (informal)
transitive verb (toppˈing; topped)- To cover on the top
- To tip
- To rise above
- To surpass
- To reach the top of
- To surmount
- To be on or at the top of
- To take off the top of
- To hit (the ball) on the upper part, so that it only travels a short distance along the ground (golf)
- To kill (slang)
- (eg of a male animal) to cover (Shakespeare)
intransitive verb To finish up, round off (with off or up) ORIGIN: OE top; Ger Zopf topˈfull adjective (Shakespeare) Full to the top or brim topˈless adjective - Without a top
- (of women's clothing) leaving the breasts uncovered
- (of a woman) with bare breasts
- (of a place, entertainment, etc) that features women with bare breasts
- Without superior (Shakespeare)
topˈlessness noun topˈmost /-mōst, -məst/ adjective - Uppermost
- Highest
topped adjective toppˈer noun - A person or thing that tops in any sense
- A person who excels at anything, a good sort (informal)
- A top hat (informal)
toppˈing noun - The act of a person or thing that tops
- (in pl) pieces cut from the top
- A sauce or dressing to go over food
adjective- Surpassing, pre-eminent
- Excellent (old slang)
- Arrogant (US)
toppˈingly adverb toppˈy adjective (informal) - (of audio reproduction) dominated by high-frequency sounds
- (of prices, etc) at the highest level known or expected
tops adjective (informal) Best, excellent adverb (informal)At most, as a maximum top banana see under banana top boot noun A knee-length boot with a showy band of leather round the top topˈ-booted adjective Wearing top boots top brass see under brass topˈcoat noun - An overcoat
- An outer coat of paint
top dead centre noun (of a reciprocating engine or pump) the piston position at the beginning of the outstroke, ie when the crank pin is nearest to the cylinder (also inner dead centre) top dog noun (informal) The winner, leader or dominant person top-downˈ adjective Organized or controlled from the top, by the most important or powerful people involved top drawer noun The highest level, esp of society (out of the top drawer, belonging to this social rank) top-drawˈer adjective topˈ-dress transitive verb top dressing noun - Manure or fertilizer applied to the surface of soil and not dug in
- The application of it
- Any superficial covering or treatment (figurative)
topˈ-end adjective Best or most expensive topˈ-flight adjective Excellent, superior, of the highest class or quality topgallant /tə-, top-galˈənt/ adjective Above the topmast and topsail and below the royal mast noun A topgallant mast or sail, or the topgallant rigging top gear noun The highest gear in a motor vehicle or on a bicycle top hamper noun Unnecessary weight on a ship's upper deck top hat noun A man's tall cylindrical hat with a narrow brim, made of silk plush adjective - (with hyphen) upper class
- Designed to benefit high executives, or the rich, as in top-hat budget, top-hat (insurance) policy
top-heavˈily adverb top-heavˈiness noun top-heavˈy adjective - Having the upper part too heavy or large for the lower
- (eg of an organization or company) with too many administrative staff or executives
- (of a company) overcapitalized
- Tipsy
top-holeˈ adjective (old slang) Excellent, first-class (also interjection) topˈknot noun - A crest, tuft of hair, often a piece of added hair, or knot of ribbons, etc, on the top of the head
- The head (slang)
- A small fish (of several species) related to the turbot
topˈknotted adjective topˈ-level adjective - At the highest level
- Involving people from this level
topˈline adjective Important enough to be mentioned in a headline intransitive verb - To feature in a headline
- To star, appear as the principal performer
toplinˈer noun - A person who is topline
- A principal performer, a star
topˈloftical or topˈlofty adjective (facetious) - High and mighty, haughty
- Stuck-up
topˈloftily adverb topˈloftiness noun topˈmaker noun A person who supplies combed wool for spinning topˈmaking noun topˈman noun - A seaman stationed in the topgallant or topsail rigging
- A top-sawyer
topˈmast /-məst, -mäst/ noun The second mast, or that immediately above the lower mast topˈminnow noun A small, surface-feeding, soft-rayed fish belonging to any of various species, either viviparous (of the family Cyprinodontidae) or egg-laying (of the family Poeciliidae) (also called mosquito fish; see also killifish under kill2) top-notchˈ adjective (informal) Excellent, first-rate top-notchˈer noun topped crude noun Crude oil after some of its lighter constituents have been removed by distillation topping lift noun (nautical) Tackle running from the masthead for raising booms toppˈing-out see top out below. topˈ-proud adjective (Shakespeare) Proud in the highest degree top quark noun (physics) A particle believed to be one of the fundamental constituents of nuclear matter topˈsail /-sl, -sāl/ noun A sail across the topmast top-sawˈyer noun - The upper sawyer in a sawpit
- A superior, a person of importance (informal)
top secret adjective Profoundly secret and of the highest importance topˈ-shelf adjective - (of a publication) too explicitly pornographic to be displayed for sale at eye level
- Of the latest design (Aust)
topˈside noun - The upper part
- The outer part of a round of beef
- A lean cut of beef from the rump
- The part of an oil rig, etc above the deck
- (also in pl) the part of the outer surface of a vessel above the waterline
adverb On or towards the top top-sliceˈ transitive verb To subtract a sum of money from (a fund) before any other transactions are made, usu to finance a specific project topsˈman noun - A head drover, a foreman (Scot)
- A hangman (slang)
topˈsoil noun The upper part or surface of the soil topˈsoiling noun Removal of the topsoil topˈspin noun - Spin imparted to a ball by hitting it sharply on the upper half with a forward and upward stroke to make it travel higher, further, or more quickly
- Extra, not always reliable or well-attested, information (press sl)
top stone noun A stone placed on the top, or forming the top top table noun The place assigned to the most important people at a meeting or banquet topˈ-up noun An amount added to bring something back up to a reasonable or the original level top-up, topping-up see also top up below. top-up loan noun A loan to bring a mortgage, grant, etc up to the required amount at the top of one's voice At one's loudest from top to toe - Completely
- From head to foot
go over the top - To go over the front of a trench and attack the enemy
- To take sudden action after hesitation
- To exceed the bounds of reason, decorum, etc
in the top flight In the highest class off the top of one's head Without previous thought or preparation on top of - In control
- In addition to
on top of the world - Near the north pole
- On a high mountain
- Exuberant, in the very best of spirits
over the top (informal) Too far, extreme, to an excess, to, at or of an unreasonable or unnecessary degree the tops (informal) The very best top and tail - To wash (a baby's) face and buttocks
- To prepare (fruit or vegetables, eg carrots) by removing the top and bottom parts
top off To finish decoratively or memorably top one's part (theatre) To excel in playing one's part top out - To finish (a building) by putting on the top or highest course
- (of eg prices) to reach the highest level (and go no further) (toppˈing-out noun)
top the bill To be the most important attraction in a programme of entertainment, etc top up - To fill up, eg with fuel oil, alcohol
- To bring (eg a wage) up to a generally accepted or satisfactory level (topˈ-up or toppˈing-up noun)
- (of a ship's yards) to place at an angle to the deck (nautical)
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