Meaning of draw in English

draw

verb

/drɔː/ us

/drɑː/

drew | drawn

draw verb (PICTURE)

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A1 [ I or T ]

to make a picture of something or someone with a pencil or pen:

Jonathan can draw very well.

The children drew pictures of their families.

Draw a line at the bottom of the page.

More examplesFewer examples

I'll draw you a quick map if you're worried about finding the hotel.
She drew the outline of the boat and then coloured it in.
Rosie drew an elephant and coloured it in.
Squared paper is better for drawing graphs on.
If you draw or write in pencil you can always rub out your mistakes with an eraser.

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Painting, drawing & printing

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draw verb (ATTRACT)

B2 [ T ]

to attract attention or interest:

He's an excellent speaker who always draws a crowd.

draw someone’s attention to something Could I draw your attention to item number three on the agenda?

draw attention UK Does he wear those ridiculous clothes to draw attention to himself?

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to draw your attention and interest you

attractWe were attracted to the high street, with its variety of shops and cafés.
drawThe game drew a crowd of 30,000.
enticeThe smell of coffee enticed people to enter the shop.
lureI was lured into the store by the smell of fresh bread.
temptI was tempted by the offer of a free phone.
seduceI wouldn't normally have bought this but I was seduced by the low price.

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draw someone's eye(s)

to attract someone's attention:

Her eyes were immediately drawn to the tall blond man standing at the bar.

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They're organizing a campaign to draw people's attention to the environmentally harmful effects of using their cars.
He may be old hat among the trendy younger generation, but his shows draw more viewers than any other comedian.
Science museums have tried to shake off their somewhat starchy image by mounting exhibitions designed to draw in the crowds.
He drew attention to the absence of concrete evidence against the defendant.
He was drawn to the metropolitan glamour and excitement of Paris.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Attracting and tempting

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Making people excited and interested

draw verb (MAKE)

C2 [ T ] formal

to make or show a comparison between things:

draw a comparison You can't really draw a comparison between the two cases - they're completely different.

draw a distinction It's sometimes very difficult to draw a clear distinction between the meanings of different words.

draw a/the conclusion

to consider the facts of a situation and make a decision about what is true, correct, likely to happen, etc.:

I'd seen them together so often, I drew the logical conclusion that they were husband and wife.

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She drew a comparison between life in the army and life in prison.
He drew an analogy between the brain and a vast computer.
Did you draw any conclusions at the meeting this morning?
It would be easy to draw a parallel between the town's history and that of its football club.
The report focuses on the particular rather than the general and so doesn't draw any overall conclusions.

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Concluding and deducing

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draw verb (MOVE)

B2 [ I + adv/prep ]

to move in a particular direction, especially in a vehicle:

draw in She arrived on the platform just as the train was drawing in.

draw into The train slowly drew into the station.

draw alongside As we drew alongside (= reached) the black car, I suddenly recognized my ex-boyfriend at the wheel.

draw level with UK As I drew level with (= reached) the car I saw that the front door was wide open.

draw near, close, etc.

to become nearer in space or time:

As Christmas draws nearer, the big stores start to get unbearably crowded.

draw to a close/an end

to gradually finish:

As the evening drew to a close, people started reaching for their coats.

More examplesFewer examples

A limousine drew up outside the hotel.
As the date of his operation drew near, he became more and more anxious.
A car drew up outside and a few moments later the doorbell rang.
"Let's draw this meeting to a close, gentlemen, " said the chairman.
The shadows deepened as the evening drew on.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

General words for movement

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draw verb (CAUSE)

[ T ]

If something draws a reaction, people react in the stated way:

draw a response Her speech last night in the Senate drew an angry response.

draw something from someone/something The spectacle drew gasps from the audience.

His declaration drew loud applause.

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The minister's speech drew loud snorts of derisive laughter.

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Causing things to happen

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draw verb (PULL)

C2 [ T + adv/prep ]

to pull or direct something in a particular direction:

She drew her coat tightly around her shoulders.

draw someone aside The crowd watched as the referee drew the player aside and spoke to him.

draw someone to one side A couple of days later, Poppy drew Kit to one side.

draw the curtains

to pull curtains so that they are either together or apart:

Could you draw the curtains, please?

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Pulling

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draw verb (CHOOSE)

[ I or T ]

to choose a number, card, etc. from several numbers, cards, etc. without first seeing it, in a competition or a game:

I was dealt two aces, and I drew a third.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Taking and choosing

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draw verb (TAKE OUT)

[ T ]

to take something out of a container or your pocket, especially a weapon:

draw a knife Suddenly he drew a knife and held it to my throat.

draw a gun He was fatally shot when he drew a gun on officers after a foot chase.

[ T ]

to cause a substance, especially blood, to come out of a body:

draw blood He bit me so hard that it drew blood.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Taking and choosing

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draw verb (GET)

[ T ]

to get a feeling, idea, etc. from something or someone:

draw something from something She drew comfort from the fact that he died peacefully.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Using and misusing

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draw verb (BREATHE)

[ I or T ]

to take air or smoke into your lungs:

draw a breath She drew a deep breath and plunged into the water.

See also

draw breath

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Animal physiology: breathing & stopping breathing

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draw verb (EQUAL)

C1 [ I ] UK

to finish a game with the same number of points as the other person or team:

draw with Coventry drew 1–1 with United in the semifinal.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Winning, losing & scoring in sport

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draw verb (MONEY)

[ T + prep ]

to get money from a bank, account, etc. so that you can use it:

draw money out I drew some money out of my account to pay for our trip.

[ T ]

to receive money regularly, especially as an employee or from the government:

draw a pension He's been drawing a pension for ten years.

draw benefits The system will come under increasing pressure as millions of baby boomers retire and start drawing benefits.

draw Social Security US My mother has just started drawing Social Security.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Withdrawing money

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Getting, receiving and accepting

Earning money

Idioms

draw a blank
draw a veil over something
draw the line
draw a line under something

Phrasal verbs

draw back
draw something down
draw in
draw someone into something
draw something off
draw on something
draw something out
draw someone out
draw something up
draw yourself up

draw

noun

/drɔː/ us

/drɑː/

draw noun (ATTRACTION)

[ C usually singular ]

someone or something that a lot of people are interested in:

big draw We need someone at the event who'll be a big draw and attract the paying public.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Attracting and tempting

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draw noun (EQUAL SCORE)

[ C ] UK

a situation in which each team in a game has equal points and neither side wins:

The result was a draw.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Winning, losing & scoring in sport

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draw noun (COMPETITION)

[ C ]

(US also drawing)

a competition that is decided by choosing a particular ticket or number by chance, or the action or event of choosing a particular ticket or number in this way:

Tickets for the draw clearly stated that under-18s were not eligible.

We will enter your numbers in a draw and let you know if you win a prize.

We all tuned in to watch the draw live on TV.

[ C ]

(US also drawing)

a way of deciding who will play against whom in a competition by choosing numbers by chance:

The draw for the first round will take place on Monday night.

favourable draw They could reach the final if they get a favourable draw.

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The numbers that won last week have no bearing on what numbers will win the next lottery draw.
The game is a variation of bingo in which the player chooses their numbers before the draw is made.
The unclaimed £3.4m jackpot will roll over to the next draw.
The winning numbers in yesterday's National Lottery draw were 6, 16, 18, 32, 35, 45.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Miscellaneous games & activities

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Gambling & bookmaking

Parts & stages of competitions

draw noun (SMOKE)

[ C usually singular ]

an act of inhaling (= taking into your lungs) smoke from a cigarette, etc.:

draw on After a long pause and a draw on her cigarette, she answered.

take a draw He lit a cigarette and took a deep draw.

More examplesFewer examples

He took another draw on his pipe.
She saw me smoking outside and asked me for a draw.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Tobacco & smoking

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draw noun (OF GUN)

[ C ]

the act of pulling out a gun so you are ready to use it:

Her father bought her a gun and holster and taught her a fast draw.

In the film he plays an angry young gunslinger who rides into town to test his draw against an ageing sheriff.

More examplesFewer examples

He wears a shoulder holster designed for quick draws.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Handguns & rifles

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Idiom

quick, slow, etc. on the draw

(Definition of draw from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

draw | American Dictionary

draw

verb

/drɔ/

past tense drew us/dru/ | past participle drawn us/drɔn/

draw verb (PICTURE)

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[ I/T ]

to make a picture of something or someone with a pencil, pen, etc.:

[ T ] The child drew a picture of a dog.

draw verb (MOVE)

[ I always + adv/prep ]

to move in a particular direction:

As we drew near, a dog started to bark.

draw verb (PULL/PULL IN)

[ I/T ]

to pull or direct something or someone in a particular direction, or attract someone toward a particular place:

[ T ] The Grand Canyon draws millions of tourists each year.

[ T ] I would like to thank Professor Reynolds for drawing my attention to this article.

[ I/T ]

To draw is also to pull together or close something covering a window, so that no one can see you:

[ T ] She drew the blinds and sat down to read.

[ I/T ]

To draw is also to suck in:

[ I ] He sharply drew in his breath.

draw verb (TAKE OUT)

[ T ]

to remove something:

It was my turn to draw a card.

draw verb (DECIDE ON)

[ T ]

to decide on something as a result of thinking about it:

We can draw some conclusions about the causes of this disease.

draw verb (CAUSE)

[ T ]

to cause a reaction from someone:

The criticism drew an angry response from the mayor.

Idioms

draw a blank

draw the line

Phrasal verbs

draw yourself up
draw out something
draw out someone
draw up something

draw

noun [ C ]

/drɔ/

draw noun [C] (ATTRACTION)

infml

someone or something that attracts a lot of interest, esp. of paying customers:

Every team needs a superstar who will be a big draw.

draw noun [C] (GAME RESULT)

(in sports and games) a situation in which each side or team has equal points or is in an equal position and neither side wins:

The hockey game ended in a draw, 2 to 2.

(Definition of draw from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

draw | Business English

draw

verb [ T ]

/drɔː/ us

drew | drawn

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BANKING

(also withdraw)

to get money from a bank or an account so that you can use it:

draw money/cash from sth Customers will be charged each time they draw cash from the cash dispensers.

The company is now able to draw money from the £10m loan it has negotiated with Royal Bank of Scotland.

FINANCE

to receive money regularly, especially as an employee or from the government:

The chief executive drew £1million last year in salary and bonuses.

draw a salary/pension

BANKING

to write out a cheque and receive money for it:

draw a cheque on an account/a bank Consumers nowadays routinely pay for goods not with cash or cheques drawn on their bank accounts but with credit cards.

US Dollar cheques can be accepted if they are drawn on a bank with clearing facilities in the UK.

FINANCE, COMMERCE

to write a bill of exchange (= document used in trade that orders payment for goods or services):

draw a bill of exchange on sb Bills of exchange are drawn on buyers and accepted when the seller hands over the bill of lading covering the goods.

Phrasal verbs

draw sth down
draw sth from sth
draw on/upon sth
draw sth out
draw sth up

draw

noun [ C ]

/drɔː/ us

someone or something that attracts a lot of people:

With an ice rink and indoor turf field, the complex has been popular and a draw for out-of-town visitors.

a big/huge draw As in China, the big draw is India's massive and lucrative domestic market potential.

[ usually singular ]

an act of using some of the supply of something, especially oil or gas, or the amount that is used:

Oil prices continued to rise yesterday amid fears that figures from America will show another big draw on stocks.

something that uses up part of a supply of something:

The training program is a draw on all our resources.

(Definition of draw from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of draw

draw

More than this, it was strikingly similar to some of the plans being drawn up at that very moment by coiffeurs themselves.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

They plotted out the area and drew up plans before taking it over.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Therefore, the experts who planned production were drawn from industry itself.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The fewest and longest lines are also drawn on plans generating an 'axial map'.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Examples are given from each category, drawing on qualitative data.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It is commendable that the author draws on qualitative and quantitative measures throughout these chapters.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In his visits to and walks around allotments, public housing projects and wasteland, he took photographs, drew maps and interviewed inhabitants or users of space.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The chapter on anxiety, communication and safety in performance again draws on all the psychological concepts previously discussed.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

All reviewers are able to draw on this resource.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The lottery runs over 36 weeks, with one number being drawn and not replaced each week.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It draws on important insights associated with other theodicies, but attempts to get past their alleged shortcomings.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In days past, the features, often words, were directly plotted on a map, and isoglosses were drawn to circumscribe the region.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It is thus possible to draw the range of spike length for which oscillation occurred against shoulder radius (figure 3).

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This draws an obvious dichotomy between marine and freshwater systems.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The details, the technological and formal solutions were drawn into a synthesis and their many elements into a unitary order.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with draw

draw

These are words often used in combination with draw.

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big draw

International news is a big draw for the new media.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

current draw

The higher power factor reduces the peak current draw, reducing load on the circuit or on an uninterruptible power supply.

From

Wikipedia

This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.

draw weight

This is a small market and excludes bows with rubber suction pads which could not do any harm as they do not have enough draw weight to hurt anything.

From the

Hansard archive

Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0

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What is the pronunciation of draw?