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noun C1 Advanced Uncommon

graft

grahft
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Graft (noun) means a piece of living tissue, skin, or plant shoot transplanted onto or into another body or plant to grow there. Example: “The surgeon used a skin graft to help the burn heal.”

noun
1
A piece of living tissue, skin, or plant shoot transplanted onto or into another body or plant to grow there.
"The surgeon used a skin graft to help the burn heal."
"The gardener attached a graft from an apple tree to strengthen the rootstock."
2
Dishonest profit gained through abuse of power, especially in politics or business.
"The scandal exposed years of political graft and bribery."
3
Hard work, especially informal British usage for effort or labor.
"Building the business from scratch took years of hard graft."
verb
1
To transplant living tissue or a plant shoot onto another body or plant.
"Doctors grafted skin from her thigh onto the burned area."

How to use graft

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDepending on context: transplanted tissue or plant matter, corrupt gain from a position of power, or (in British slang) plain hard work.

UK vs US

"Graft" meaning hard work is common British and Australian slang, much less used in the US, where "graft" usually means corruption or a medical/plant transplant.

Common pairings
skin graft political graft hard graft
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Word forms

Plural
grafts
Third person singular
grafts
Past tense
grafted
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The surgeon used a skin _____ to help the burn heal.

Etymology

From Old French greffe ("stylus"), from Latin graphium, from Ancient Greek grapheion — the shoot was named for its resemblance to a pointed pen.

Origin: Ancient Greek

Synonyms

View more →
grafting bribery transplant ingraft engraft attach put together unite imp

Related words

break couple link build join plant fix bond

Rhymes for graft

aft raft daft Taft craft draft shaft Kraft
See all rhymes for graft →

Frequently asked questions

What does “graft” mean?
The word “graft” means a piece of living tissue, skin, or plant shoot transplanted onto or into another body or plant to grow there. In plain terms, depending on context: transplanted tissue or plant matter, corrupt gain from a position of power, or (in British slang) plain hard work.
How do you pronounce “graft”?
“Graft” is pronounced grahft (/ɡɹæft/ in IPA).
How do you use “graft” in a sentence?
Here is “graft” used in a sentence: “The surgeon used a skin graft to help the burn heal.”
What is another word for “graft”?
Words with a similar meaning to “graft” include attach, put together, unite and imp.
What part of speech is “graft”?
Depending on how it is used, “graft” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “graft” come from?
The word “graft” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old French greffe ("stylus"), from Latin graphium, from Ancient Greek grapheion — the shoot was named for its resemblance to a pointed pen.
Is “graft” a common word?
“Graft” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “graft” have?
“Graft” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a piece of living tissue, skin, or plant shoot transplanted onto or into another body or plant to grow there.

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