Graft

8 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Graft \Graft\, n. [OE. graff, F. greffe, originally the same
     word as OF. grafe pencil, L. graphium, Gr. ?, ?, fr. ? to
     write; prob. akin to E. carve. So named from the resemblance
     of a scion or shoot to a pointed pencil. Cf. {Graphic},
     {Grammar.}]
        (a) A small shoot or scion of a tree inserted in another


            tree, the stock of which is to support and nourish it.
            The two unite and become one tree, but the graft
            determines the kind of fruit.
        (b) A branch or portion of a tree growing from such a
            shoot.
        (c) (Surg.) A portion of living tissue used in the
            operation of autoplasty.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Graft \Graft\, v. i.
     To insert scions from one tree, or kind of tree, etc., into
     another; to practice grafting.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Graft \Graft\, n. [Prob. orig. so called because illegitimate or
     improper profit was looked upon as a graft, or sort of
     excrescence, on a legitimate business undertaking, in
     distinction from its natural proper development.]
     1. Acquisition of money, position, etc., by dishonest or
        unjust means, as by actual theft or by taking advantage of
        a public office or any position of trust or employment to
        obtain fees, perquisites, profits on contracts,
        legislation, pay for work not done or service not
        performed, etc.; illegal or unfair practice for profit or
        personal advantage; also, anything thus gained. [Colloq.]
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     2. A "soft thing" or "easy thing;" a "snap." [Slang]
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Graft \Graft\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Grafted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Grafting}.] [F. greffer. See {Graft}, n.]
     1. To insert (a graft) in a branch or stem of another tree;
        to propagate by insertion in another stock; also, to
        insert a graft upon. [Formerly written {graff}.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Surg.) To implant a portion of (living flesh or akin) in
        a lesion so as to form an organic union.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To join (one thing) to another as if by grafting, so as to
        bring about a close union.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              And graft my love immortal on thy fame ! --Pope.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Naut.) To cover, as a ring bolt, block strap, splicing,
        etc., with a weaving of small cord or rope-yarns.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  graft
       n 1: (surgery) tissue or organ transplanted from a donor to a
            recipient; in some cases the patient can be both donor
            and recipient [syn: {transplant}]
       2: the practice of offering something (usually money) in order
          to gain an illicit advantage [syn: {bribery}]
       3: the act of grafting something onto something else [syn: {grafting}]
       v 1: cause to grow together parts from different plants; "graft
            the cherry tree branch onto the plum tree" [syn: {engraft},
             {ingraft}]
       2: place athe organ of a donor into the body of a recipient
          [syn: {transplant}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  148 Moby Thesaurus words for "graft":
     abstraction, affix, anchor, annex, annexation, appropriation,
     attach, ballot-box stuffing, belay, blackmail, boodle, boodling,
     boosting, booty, bribery, bribery and corruption, bribing, bud,
     bunco, campaign contribution, campaign fund, cardsharping, cement,
     cheat, cheating, cinch, clamp, clinch, conversion, conveyance,
     corruption, cozenage, cramp, diddle, diddling, dishonesty, dodge,
     embedment, embezzlement, engraft, entrance, extortion, fasten,
     filching, fishy transaction, fix, flam, flimflam, fraud,
     fraudulence, fraudulency, gerrymandering, grafting, grapple, grift,
     gyp, gyp joint, haul, hot goods, illicit business, imp, impaction,
     impactment, implant, implantation, imposition, imposture, inarch,
     infixion, infusion, injection, inoculation, insert, insertion,
     insinuation, interjection, interpolation, introduction,
     intromission, jobbery, join, kickback, knit, liberation, lifting,
     loot, make fast, moor, nepotism, payola, penetration, perfusion,
     perks, perquisite, pickings, pilferage, pilfering, pinching,
     plunder, poaching, political intrigue, pork barrel,
     pork-barrel legislation, pork-barreling, prize, public till,
     public tit, public trough, put to, racket, scam, scion, screw up,
     scrounging, secure, set, set to, shoot, shoplifting, slush fund,
     snatching, sneak thievery, snitching, splice, spoil, spoils,
     spoils of office, spoils system, squeeze, stealage, stealing,
     stealings, stolen goods, subornation, swag, swindle, swiping, take,
     tessellation, theft, thievery, thieving, tighten, till, transplant,
     transplantation, trice up, trim
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Graft
     the process of inoculating fruit-trees (Rom. 11:17-24). It is
     peculiarly appropriate to olive-trees. The union thus of
     branches to a stem is used to illustrate the union of true
     believers to the true Church.
     

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  GRAFT. A figurative term in chancery practice, to designate the right of a 
  mortgagee in premises, to which the mortgagor at the time of making the 
  mortgage had an imperfect title, but who afterwards obtained a good title. 
  In this case the new mortgage is considered a graft into the old stock, and, 
  as arising in consideration of the former title. 1 Ball & Beat. 46; Id. 40; 
  Id. 57; 1 Pow. on Mortg. 190. See 9 Mass. 34. The same principle has 
  obtained by legislative enactment in Louisiana. If a person contracting an 
  obligation towards another, says the Civil Code, art. 2371, grants a 
  mortgage on property of which he is not then the owner, this mortgage shall 
  be valid, if the debtor should ever acquire the ownership of, the property, 
  by whatever right.