graft

• graff

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɡɹɑːft/
• (US, Northern England) IPA^(key): /ɡɹæft/
• Rhymes: -ɑːft, -æft

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. Compare graphic, grammar.

graft (countable and uncountable, plural grafts)

1. (countable) A small shoot or scion of a tree inserted in another tree, the stock of which is to support and nourish it. The two unite and become one tree, but the graft determines the kind of fruit.
2. (countable) A branch or portion of a tree growing from such a shoot.
3. (surgery, countable) A portion of living tissue used in the operation of autoplasty.

graft (third-person singular simple present grafts, present participle grafting, simple past and past participle grafted)

1. (transitive) To insert (a graft) in a branch or stem of another tree; to propagate by insertion in another stock; also, to insert a graft upon.
2. (intransitive) To insert scions (grafts) from one tree, or kind of tree, etc., into another; to practice grafting.
3. (transitive, surgery) To implant a portion of (living flesh or akin) in a lesion so as to form an organic union.
4. (transitive) To join (one thing) to another as if by grafting, so as to bring about a close union.

   1717 Eloisa to Abelard. And graft my love immortal on thy fame! — Alexander Pope

5. (transitive, nautical) To cover, as a ring bolt, block strap, splicing, etc., with a weaving of small cord or rope-yarns.
6. (chemistry) To form a graft polymer

• (to join as if by grafting): affix, attach, put together, unite; see also Thesaurus:join

graft (plural grafts)

1. Alternative form of graff (“canal”)
2. The depth of the blade of a digging tool such as a spade or shovel.
3. A narrow spade used in digging drainage trenches.

• grafting tool

graft (countable and uncountable, plural grafts)

1. (uncountable) Corruption in official life.
2. (uncountable) Illicit profit by corrupt means, especially in public life.
3. (uncountable, slang) A criminal’s special branch of practice.
4. (countable) A con job.
5. (countable, slang) A cut of the take (money).
6. (uncountable, US, politics) A bribe, especially on an ongoing basis. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
7. (Britain) (uncountable, colloquial) Work; labor
8. (Britain) (countable, colloquial) A job or trade.
9. (Britain) (uncountable, colloquial) Effort needed for doing hard work.

graft (third-person singular simple present grafts, present participle grafting, simple past and past participle grafted)

1. To work.
2. To obtain illegal gain from bribery of similar corrupt practices.

• grafter (“grifter”)

• grift

• graft in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911. See supplements.

graft f (plural graften, diminutive graftje n)

1. (chiefly Holland) Obsolete form of gracht (“canal”).

graft n (plural graften, diminutive graftje n)

1. Obsolete form of gracht (“grave”).

Borrowed from Dutch graft.

graft c (plural graften, diminutive graftsje)

1. Alternative form of grêft.