draughts

Everyday

1. Draughts is a board game for two players who move round flat pieces diagonally and jump over each other's pieces to take them; in the USA it is called checkers. tree →
2. Draughts are cold currents of air that come into a room through gaps. tree →
3. Draughts can also be long swallows of a drink. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life children play draughts at home or in a games club; it teaches planning and taking turns. At home, draughts come under doors and through windows, so people use draught excluders. Phrases: «a game of draughts», «play draughts», «keep out the draughts».

Examples

• Grandpa taught me to play draughts. tree →
• Draughts is played on a board of sixty-four squares. tree →
• I jumped two of his pieces in one move at draughts. tree →
• There are cold draughts coming under the door. tree →
• We put a draught excluder by the door to stop the draughts. tree →
• Is draughts the same as checkers? Yes, mostly. tree →
• She won three games of draughts in a row. tree →
• “Let us keep to the story,” said Mongan, and, having taken some few dozen deep draughts of the wine, he became even more jovial than before. tree →

Note

British spelling; pronounced «drafts», and Americans spell the air sense «drafts». The game name takes a singular verb: «Draughts is fun». The game is called checkers in the USA and Canada. Do not confuse with «drafts» meaning first versions of writing.