n. & v.
n. 1 Bot. a a shoot or scion inserted into a slit of stock, from which it receives sap. b the place where a graft is inserted. 2 Surgery a piece of living tissue, organ, etc., transplanted surgically. 3 sl. hard work.
v. 1 tr. a (often foll. by into, on, together, etc.) insert (a scion) as a graft. b insert a graft on (a stock). 2 intr. insert a graft. 3 tr. Surgery transplant (living tissue). 4 tr. (foll. by in, on) insert or fix (a thing) permanently to another. 5 intr. sl. work hard. grafting-clay (or -wax) a substance for covering the united parts of a graft and stock. grafter n.
[ ME (earlier graff) f. OF grafe, grefe f. L graphium f. Gk graphion stylus f. grapho write ]