# draw

/ˈdɹɔ/ (US) · /dɹˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/draw
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to make a picture

verb · CEFR A1

to make a picture using a pen, pencil, or crayon.

For teachers: to produce a representation or diagram by making lines on a surface.

- She sat in the park and drew a picture of the old bridge.
- The architect drew a series of detailed sketches to illustrate how the light would interact with the building's facade.

### 2. to pull

verb · CEFR A2

to pull something towards you or in a certain direction.

For teachers: to exert force on an object so as to move it towards oneself or along a path.

- He drew the curtains to block out the bright morning sun.
- The knight drew his sword from its scabbard as the enemy approached the castle gates.

### 3. to attract

verb · CEFR B1

to attract interest, attention, or a crowd of people.

For teachers: to elicit a specific response or to attract interest and participation.

- The free concert drew a huge crowd to the city centre.
- The controversial policy drew sharp criticism from both the public and the media.

### 4. to choose or extract

verb · CEFR B1

to take something out, like money from a bank or a name from a hat.

For teachers: to extract, withdraw, or select something from a source or container.

- They will draw the winning ticket for the prize tomorrow.
- She needed to draw some cash from her savings account to pay for the repairs.

### 5. to reach a conclusion

verb · CEFR B2 · Academic

to arrive at an idea or conclusion after thinking about the facts.

For teachers: to deduce or infer a conclusion from available evidence or information.

- What conclusion did you draw after reading the report?
- It is difficult to draw any firm conclusions from such a limited set of data.

Usage: Commonly collocates with 'conclusion', 'parallel', or 'comparison'.

### 6. a tie in a game

noun · CEFR A2

a game or race that ends with both sides having the same score.

For teachers: a competitive result in which participants finish with an identical score or standing.

- The football match ended in a two-two draw.
- After ninety minutes of intense play, the game resulted in a scoreless draw, leaving both teams frustrated.

Teaching tip: In American English, 'tie' is more common than 'draw' for most sports, though 'draw' is used in soccer.

### 7. an attraction

noun · CEFR B2

something or someone that many people want to see.

For teachers: a person, place, or event that acts as a powerful attraction for the public.

- The new museum is a big draw for tourists visiting the city.
- The lead actor's performance was the main draw of the production, consistently selling out the theatre.

### 8. a lottery or selection

noun · CEFR B1

the act of choosing a winner or a name by chance.

For teachers: a random selection process, such as for a lottery or a tournament schedule.

- The draw for the World Cup groups takes place this evening.
- The luck of the draw determined that the two strongest teams would face each other in the first round.

### 9. cannabis

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · British English

a slang word for the drug cannabis.

For teachers: a slang term referring to cannabis or a portion of the drug.

- He was caught carrying a small bag of draw.
- The local police were focusing on the street-level distribution of draw and other substances.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the drug in general; countable when referring to a specific bag.

Teaching tip: This is highly informal and specific to certain dialects; learners should be aware of it but avoid using it in formal contexts.

## Examples

- I like to draw pictures of my cat.
- The artist sat in the park to draw the historic fountain while the sun was still high.
- The speaker managed to draw a large crowd to the square, effectively capturing their attention with a series of compelling anecdotes about local history.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.