a ship's draught is the distance from the bottom of the ship to the level of the water. This distance is the depth of water that a ship needs to float
ˈladen ˌdraught TRANSPORT
the draught when a ship is loaded
ˈlight ˌdraught TRANSPORT
the draught before a ship is loaded
ˈload ˌdraught TRANSPORT
the distance from the bottom of a ship to the level of the water when the ship is loaded. This is the line to which the ship is allowed to load
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draught UK US UK (US draft) /drɑːft/ noun [C] TRANSPORT
► the distance between the bottom of a ship and the level of the water when the ship is floating
→ See also LADEN DRAUGHT(Cf. ↑laden draught), LIGHT DRAUGHT(Cf. ↑light draught), LOAD DRAUGHT(Cf. ↑load draught)
Financial and business terms. 2012.