Graft

/ɡræft/

Meaning & Definition

noun
A piece of living tissue transplanted surgically.
The surgeon performed a successful graft to repair the damaged blood vessel.
A technique of joining plants or plant parts together.
He used a graft to combine a hardy rootstock with a delicate bloom.
The act of obtaining money or advantage through unethical means; corruption.
The politician was accused of engaging in graft to secure funding for his campaign.
verb
To transplant tissue surgically.
The doctor decided to graft skin from the patient's thigh to cover the burn injury.
To join (a plant) to another by means of grafting.
He plans to graft several tree varietals to create a unique fruit tree.

Etymology

Middle English 'graff', from Old French 'grafe', from Latin 'graphium'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

graft and corruption
The unethical or illegal acquisition of money.
graft surgery
A surgical procedure involving the transplantation of tissue.
hard graft
A lot of hard work or effort.

Related Words

transplant
To move or transfer (something) to another place.
bribery
The act of giving or receiving a bribe.
tissue
An aggregate of cells in an organism.

Slang Meanings

Work or effort, often associated with manual labor.
He's just been doing graft all day and is exhausted.
Dishonest or illegal behavior for personal gain.
That deal was pure graft; everyone knows it.