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graft

graft /ɡræft/

verbnounB2SATACTGRE

technicalgeneral

To insert a shoot or bud from one plant into another so that they join and grow together; the point of union of such plants.

In botany, it refers to physical plant splicing. In broader contexts, it can refer to hard work or political corruption, but agriculturally it is strictly physical.

The story behind the word. The word comes from the Old French 'grafe', which derived from the Greek 'graphion' (writing stylus). It was named this because the pointed shoot used in the grafting process closely resembled a sharp writing instrument.

Word relationships

splice: Splice is a general term for joining two things end-to-end, whereas graft is biologically specific to living plant tissues.

sever: Sever means to cut apart, which is the exact opposite of grafting together.

Commonly confused with

transplant: Transplanting moves an entire plant to new soil; grafting joins two different plants together.

Word family

grafting (noun): The horticultural technique of joining plant tissues.

Collocations

graft union
graft a branch
successful graft

Idioms & expressions

hard graft (British slang for hard work)

Example sentences

"The nurseryman showed us how to graft a delicate pear scion onto a hardy quince rootstock." Instructional gardening guide
"The graft healed successfully, and the branch began to produce leaves." Botanical observation

Memory hook

You use a pencil (graphite/graphion) to write, and a graft looks like a pencil inserted into a branch. Graft is like a plant craft—splicing them together.

When not to use

Do not use as a noun for a plant shoot unless referring specifically to the joined section.

Fun facts

There is a single tree called the 'Tree of 40 Fruit' that has been grafted to grow forty different types of stone fruits, including peaches, plums, and apricots, all on one trunk.