draw on

draw on (third-person singular simple present draws on, present participle drawing on, simple past drew on, past participle drawn on)

1. (literally) To sketch or mark with pencil, crayon, etc., on a given surface.
2. (also draw upon) To appeal to, make a demand of, rely on; to utilize or make use of, as a source.

   Without the proper resources, the young manager drew on his imagination to solve the crisis.

   • January 19 1782, Benjamin Franklin, letter to John Jay

     but I would have you draw on me for a Quarter at present which shall be paid

   The reporter drew heavily on interviews with former members of the secretive group.

   • 2011 January 29, Ian Hughes, “Southampton 1 - 2 Man Utd”, in BBC‎:

     Manchester United needed to draw on all their resources as they came from behind to beat Southampton and progress to the last 16 of the FA Cup.

   • 2012 March-April, John T. Jost, “Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)?”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 162:

     He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record.

3. To advance, continue; to move or pass slowly or continuously, as under a pulling force.

   As the day draws on, the oxen will begin to show fatigue.

4. To approach, come nearer, as evening.

   Evening is drawing on; we'd better call it a day.

   In his bones, he sensed winter was drawing on sooner than usual.

5. (transitive) To put on (a garment)
   • 1994, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Hippopotamus:

     He heard the silken rustle of a dressing-gown being drawn on.

• draw out

• Rawdon, Rowand, Wondra, arownd, onward