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draw
drained her glass (=drank all the contents) and asked for
more water. | (fig.) I feel drained of emotion.
drain² n 1 [C] (the GRATING over) a means of draining, such
as a ditch or underground pipe that carries waste water
away: The drains overflowed after the heavy rain. | Don't pour
those tea leaves down the drain - you'll block the
sink. 2 [S(on)] something that empties or uses up: All this
spending is a drain on my savings. 3 down the drain infml
wasted; brought to nothing: The results of years of work
went down the drain. -> see also BRAIN DRAIN, laugh like a
drain (LAUGH¹)
drain-age /'dreɪnɪdʒ/ n [U] a system or means for draining,
such as a pipe or ditch: This soil has good drainage. |
drainage channels
'draining board n a slightly sloping board with GROOVES in
the surface, on which wet dishes are placed after washing so
that the water will run off them
drain-pipe /'dreɪnpaɪp/ n 1 a pipe that carries waste water
away from buildings 2 also downspout, drain-spout
/'dreɪnspaʊt/ AmE — a pipe that carries rain water from the
roof of a building into a DRAIN
drainpipe 'trousers n [P] BrE infml tight-fitting trousers with
narrow legs, especially as worn in Britain in the 1950s by
TEDDY BOYS
drake /dreɪk/ n a male duck -> see also DUCKS AND DRAKES
Sir Francis Drake
Drake, Sir Francis (1540-96) an English sailor and
EXPLORER, who was the first Englishman to sail around the
world, and was one of the leaders of the English navy when it
defeated the SPANISH ARMADA in 1588. There is a story that
Drake was very calm when he was first told that the ships of
the Spanish Armada were coming, and completed the game
of BOWLS that he was playing before leaving to fight.
dram /dræm/ n 1 also drachm — a small unit of weight or of
liquid -> see TABLE 2 2 infml a small alcoholic drink, usually
WHISKY. This word is usually used in speech rather than
writing and its use in the Scottish expression 'a wee dram' is
widely known.
dra-ma /'drɑːmə||'drɑːmə, 'dræmə/ n 1 [C] a piece of writ-
ing to be performed by actors; play for the theatre, tele-
vision, radio etc 2 [U] plays considered as a form of
literature: the themes of contemporary British drama | the
drama of Shakespeare 3 [C;U] an exciting and unusual
situation or set of events: Their holidays are always full of
drama. | There was high drama at the airport when news of
the hijack came through.
dra-mat-ic /drə'mætɪk/ adj 1 [no comp.] connected with
drama or the theatre: a dramatic production 2 exciting and
unusual, like something that could happen in a drama: his
dramatic escape from the prison camp | The conversation
stopped when she made her dramatic entrance. | He made a
dramatic recovery. —ally /-kli/ adv
dra,matic 'irony n [U] a method used in drama by which
the people watching the play can see a different meaning in
the words spoken because they know information which the
characters in the play do not know
dra-mat-ics /drə'mætɪks/ n 1 [U] the study or practice of
theatrical skills such as acting 2 [P] often derog behaviour that
shows too much feeling; HISTRIONICS
dram-a-tis per-so-nae /ˌdræmətɪs pɜː'səʊni,
pə'səʊniː||-pər'səʊniː/ n [(the)P] Lat the characters or actors in
a play
dram-a-tist /'dræmətɪst/ n a writer of plays, especially seri-
ous ones; PLAYWRIGHT
dram-a-tize also -tise BrE /'dræmətaɪz/ v 1 [T] to change (a
book, report etc) so that it can be performed as a play: He's
dramatizing his novel for television. 2 [I;T] derog to present
(something) in a (too) dramatic way: Don't dramatize (the
events) — just give us the facts! —tization
/ˌdræmətaɪ'zeʃən||-mətə-/ n [C;U]
Dram-bu-ie /dræm'bjuːi/ trademark a type of Scottish LIQUEUR
(=a sweet and very strong alcoholic drink) made from
WHISKY and usually drunk from a small glass after a meal
drank /dræŋk/ past tense of DRINK
drape¹ /dreɪp/ v [T] 1 to cover or decorate (as if) with folds
of cloth: [+obj+over, round] They draped the flag over/round the
coffin. | [+obj+in,with] They draped the coffin in/with the
flag. 2 [(over, (a)round)] to cause to hang loosely and carelessly:
He draped his legs over the arm of the chair. -> see SPREAD
(USAGE)
drape² n [C usually sing.] the way cloth is arranged or clothing
is cut -> see also DRAPES
drap-er /'dreɪpə/ n BrE, becoming rare a person who sells cloth,
curtains, sewing materials etc
drap-er-y /'dreɪpəri/ n 1 [U] BrE || dry goods AmE — the trade
of or goods sold by a draper: the drapery department of the
store 2 [C;U] cloth arranged in folds: a photograph taken
against a background of drapery
drapes /dreɪps/ also drap-er-ies /'dreɪpəriz/ n [P] AmE
curtains, especially long, thick curtains
dras-tic /'dræstɪk/ adj strong, sudden, and often violent and
severe: Drastic measures/changes are needed to improve the
performance of the company. —ally /-kli/ adv: His work has
changed drastically since his illness.
drat /dræt/ v -tt- [T] old-fash slang (used to show annoyance)
DAMN: Drat it! I forgot my keys! | Drat you! You're ten minutes
late! | Stop that dratted noise!
draught¹ usually draft AmE /drɑːft||dræft/ n 1 a current of
cold air flowing through a room: You'll catch cold if you sit
in a draught. 2 the flow of air to a fire: to increase the
draught to a furnace 3 an act of swallowing liquid or the
amount of liquid swallowed at one time: She took a long
draught of cider. 4 especially lit a liquid for drinking, especially
a medicine: a sleeping draught 5 the depth of water needed
by a ship so that it will not touch bottom: a small boat with
a very shallow draught 6 BrE || checker AmE — a small round
piece used in playing the game of draughts 7 on draught
(of beer etc) served by being drawn from a large container
such as a barrel: The pub has several good beers on draught.
draught² usually draft AmE— adj [A] 1 (of animals) used for
pulling loads: a draught horse 2 (of beer etc) on draught: I
asked for draught beer, not bottled beer.
'draught ex,cluder n BrE material that you put around the
edge of windows and doors to stop cold air from coming
into the house
draughts /drɑːfts||dræfts/ BrE || checkers AmE — n [U] a
game played by two people, each with 12 round pieces, on a
board of 64 squares (draughtboard BrE || checkerboard AmE)
draughts-man BrE || drafts- especially AmE
/'drɑːftsmən||'dræfts-/, draughts-wom-an /-,wʊmən/
fem. — n pl. -men /-mən/ 1 a person who makes drawings of
all the parts of a new building or machine that is being
planned 2 a person who draws well
draught-y /'drɑːfti||'dræfti/ adj with cold currents of air
blowing through: a draughty bedroom
Dra-vid-i-an /drə'vɪdiən/ adj belonging to a group of related
languages spoken in the South of India and the North of Sri
Lanka, which includes the Tamil language: Tamil is a Dra-
vidian language.
draw¹ /drɔː/ v drew /druː/, drawn /drɔːn/ 1 [I;T] to make
(pictures), or make a picture of (something), with a pencil or
pen: Jane draws very well. | to draw a line/a map | He drew a
portrait/his house. | Draw a circle and write your name in it. |
(fig.) Shakespeare draws his characters well. -> compare
WRITE¹ 2 [T] to cause to come, go, or move by pulling: The
horse drew the cart up the hill. | a plough drawn by oxen | to
draw the curtains (=to open or close them by pulling) | She
drew the doctor aside (=led him to a place where private