[*** \mathrm{graft}^1] |ɡraft|

source: By Karelj - Own work, Public Domain

1. a shoot or twig inserted into a slit on the trunk or stem of a living plant, from which it receives sap.

接ぎ木［穂］; 穂木

an instance of grafting a shoot or twig.

2. Medicine a piece of living tissue that is transplanted surgically.

〘医〙 (皮膚･骨髄などの)移植片［組織］

a surgical operation in which tissue is transplanted.

移植(法)

verb with object and adverbial

1. insert (a shoot or twig) as a graft:

〈木･芽など〉を «…に» 接ぎ木する «onto, on, into»

e.g. it was common to graft different varieties onto a single tree trunk.

insert a graft on (a stock).

2. Medicine transplant (living tissue) as a graft:

〘医〙 〈皮膚など〉を «…に» 移植する «onto, to, into» (!しばしば受け身で)

e.g. they can graft a new hand onto the arm.

3. insert or fix (something) permanently to something else, typically in a way considered inappropriate:

〈思想･様式･組織など〉を «…に» 融合［合体, 転用］する «onto, on»

e.g. western-style government could not easily be grafted onto a profoundly different country.

late Middle English graff, from Old French grafe, via Latin from Greek graphion ‘stylus, writing implement’ (with reference to the tapered tip of the scion), from graphein ‘write’. The final -t is typical of phonetic confusion between -f and -ft at the end of words; compare with tuft.

[*** \mathrm{graft}^2] |ɡraft|

practices, especially bribery, used to secure illicit gains in politics or business; corruption:

｟主に米｠ 収賄［汚職］

e.g. sweeping measures to curb official graft.

gains secured by corruption:

｟主に米｠ 収賄［汚職］による不正利益

e.g. government officials grow fat off bribes and graft.

verb no object

make money by shady or dishonest means.

grafter |ˈɡraftər| noun

mid 19th century: of unknown origin.

[*** \mathrm{graft}^3] |ɡraft| British informal

hard work:

｟英･くだけて｠ (きつい)仕事

e.g. turning those dreams into reality was sheer hard graft.

verb no object

work hard:

｟英･くだけて｠ (一生懸命に)働く

e.g. I need people prepared to go out and graft.

grafter |ˈɡraftər| noun

mid 19th century: perhaps related to the phrase spade's graft ‘the amount of earth that one stroke of a spade will move’, based on Old Norse grǫftr ‘digging’.