graft

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To join part of one plant onto another so they grow together as one.

   The gardener grafted a branch from the cherry tree onto the plum tree.

2. 2
   noun

   A piece of skin, tissue, or organ taken from one body or part and attached to another (in surgery).

   The burn victim needed a skin graft to help the wound heal.

3. 3
   noun

   The dishonest use of a position of power to gain money or advantage; corruption.

   The official was jailed for accepting graft from local builders.

4. 4
   noun

   Hard work that takes a lot of effort (British, informal).

   It took years of hard graft to build the business.

Common collocations

• skin graft Noun + noun

From Middle English graffe, from Old French greffe (“stylus”), from Latin graphium (“stylus”), from Ancient Greek γραφείον (grapheíon), from γράφειν (gráphein, “to write”); probably akin to English carve. So named from the resemblance of a scion or shoot to a pointed pencil. Doublet of graphium. Compare graphic, grammar.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images