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grafter

1 American  
[graf-ter, grahf-] / ˈgræf tər, ˈgrɑf- /

noun

  1. Horticulture. a person who combines plants by inserting a bud, shoot, or scion of one plant into a groove or slit in the stem or stock of another, where it continues to grow.

    Join us for a fun time as newbies and seasoned grafters mingle and swap cuttings of various fruit trees.
grafter 2 American  
[graf-ter, grahf-] / ˈgræf tər, ˈgrɑf- /

noun

  1. a person who obtains money or other advantage by dishonest, unfair, or illegal means, especially through the abuse of position or influence in politics, business, etc..

    For 17 years she had been writing newspaper stories about grafters—crooked bankers, corrupt politicians, and the like—and winning armloads of journalism awards for it.

  2. British Slang. a worker, especially a particularly industrious or dedicated worker.

    To succeed in this job you also need to be a real grafter, someone eager for a chance to work hard in an ever-growing company.

Etymology

Origin of grafter1

graft 1 ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )

Origin of grafter2

graft 2 + -er 1 ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Graduate Fog, a graduate careers site which says it names and shames "intern exploiters", called Britain's Hardest Grafter a "controversial Hunger Games-style TV show" and has been encouraging its Twitter followers to sign the petition.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2015

Nearly 24,000 people have signed a petition aimed at stopping the BBC broadcasting Britain's Hardest Grafter, where low-paid workers vie for £15,500.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2015

Britain's Hardest Grafter was commissioned as a five-week series with 25 people involved in the process, and the spokesman said the prize money was "the equivalent to an annual living-wage salary".

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2015

In Stalin's good graces, the No. 1 Grafter, whose name was not revealed, was a Communist Party member and director of a Georgian State vineyard.

From Time Magazine Archive

He is a prize Bunk, a two-handed Grafter, a Short-Change Artist and a Broadway Wolf.

From Knocking the Neighbors by Ade, George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.