graft
1 Americannoun
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Horticulture.
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a bud, shoot, or scion of a plant inserted in a groove, slit, or the like in a stem or stock of another plant in which it continues to grow.
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the plant resulting from such an operation; the united stock and scion.
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the place where the scion is inserted.
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Surgery. a portion of living tissue surgically transplanted from one part of an individual to another, or from one individual to another, for its adhesion and growth.
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an act of grafting.
verb (used with object)
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to insert (a graft) into a tree or other plant; insert a scion of (one plant) into another plant.
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to cause (a plant) to reproduce through grafting.
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Surgery. to transplant (a portion of living tissue, as of skin or bone) as a graft.
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to attach as if by grafting.
an absurdity grafted onto an otherwise coherent body of thought.
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Nautical. to cover (a rope) with a weaving of rope yarn.
verb (used without object)
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to insert scions from one plant into another.
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to become grafted.
- Synonyms:
- transplant, implant, adhere, join, transplant
noun
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the acquisition of money, gain, or advantage by dishonest, unfair, or illegal means, especially through the abuse of one's position or influence in politics, business, etc.
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a particular instance, method, or means of thus acquiring gain or advantage.
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the gain or advantage acquired.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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horticulture
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a piece of plant tissue (the scion), normally a stem, that is made to unite with an established plant (the stock), which supports and nourishes it
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the plant resulting from the union of scion and stock
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the point of union between the scion and the stock
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surgery a piece of tissue or an organ transplanted from a donor or from the patient's own body to an area of the body in need of the tissue
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the act of joining one thing to another by or as if by grafting
verb
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horticulture
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to induce (a plant or part of a plant) to unite with another part or (of a plant or part of a plant) to unite in this way
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to produce (fruit, flowers, etc) by this means or (of fruit, flowers, etc) to grow by this means
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to transplant (tissue) or (of tissue) to be transplanted
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to attach or incorporate or become attached or incorporated
to graft a happy ending onto a sad tale
noun
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work (esp in the phrase hard graft )
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the acquisition of money, power, etc, by dishonest or unfair means, esp by taking advantage of a position of trust
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something gained in this way, such as profit from government business
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a payment made to a person profiting by such a practice
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verb
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(intr) to work
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to acquire by or practise graft
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A shoot or bud of one plant that is inserted into or joined to the stem, branch, or root of another plant so that the two grow together as a single plant. Grafts are used to strengthen or repair plants, create dwarf trees, produce seedless fruit, and increase fruit yields without requiring plants to mature from seeds.
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A piece of body tissue that is surgically removed and then transplanted or implanted to replace a damaged part or compensate for a defect.
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To join a graft to another plant.
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To transplant or implant a graft.
Other Word Forms
- grafter noun
- grafting noun
Etymology
Origin of graft1
First recorded in 1350–1400; earlier graff, Middle English graffe, craffe, from Old French graife, greffe, graffe, from Late Latin graphium “hunting knife” ( Latin: “stylus”), from Greek grapheîon “pencil, paint brush,”derivative of gráphein “to write”; so called from the resemblance of the point of a (cleft) graft to a stylus; English excrescent t as in against ( def. )
Origin of graft2
First recorded in 1855–60; perhaps special use of graft 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
My dentist said a molar needed to be yanked because of a cellular breakdown called resorption, and a periodontist in his office recommended a bone graft and probably an implant.
From Los Angeles Times
But with little public detail, the announcement drew sharp criticism from the opposition and experts who raised constitutional and accountability issues in a country where graft is widespread.
From Barron's
For one, there is only so much monetary policy can do to restore sentiment hit by trade uncertainty and the graft investigation fallout, he said.
A Paris criminal court will on Monday examine former president Nicolas Sarkozy's request to merge two sentences for convictions in separate cases related to graft and illegal campaign financing.
From Barron's
Barely hours into the top job, Peru's eighth president in a decade found himself under fire Thursday over past utterances on child marriage, and graft allegations.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
