Word: graft (noun / verb)

Associations

The word "graft" can be both a noun and a verb, and it has different meanings depending on the context.

As a noun:

1. In medicine or gardening, "graft" means a piece of living tissue or a plant part that is joined to another plant or body part to grow together.
2. In a negative sense, "graft" means corruption or bribery, especially when someone uses their position for unfair gain.

As a verb:

1. To "graft" means to join a piece of living tissue or plant to another so that they grow together.
2. It can also mean to work hard, especially physically.

Examples:

• Gardening: "The gardener grafted a rose branch onto the rootstock."
• Medicine: "The surgeon performed a skin graft."
• Corruption: "The politician was accused of graft."
• Hard work: "He had to graft all day to finish the job."

Synonym note: For the corruption meaning, "bribery" is a synonym, but "graft" often implies using power or position dishonestly, while "bribery" focuses on giving or receiving money or favors.

Substitution

Depending on the meaning:

• For medical/gardening: you can say "transplant" but "graft" is more specific because it involves joining living parts.
• For corruption: you can say "corruption," "bribery," or "kickback."
• For hard work: you can say "work hard," "labor," or "toil."

Deconstruction

The word "graft" comes from Old French "grafe" meaning a small branch or shoot. It relates to the idea of joining one plant part to another. The corruption meaning evolved later, possibly from the idea of "grabbing" or "taking" unfairly.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where someone might "graft" in gardening?
• Have you heard about political "graft" in news? How does it affect society?
• How would you explain "graft" as hard work to a friend?