grafter
grafter Lexical Profile
grafter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A person who works very hard and steadily, especially at physical or demanding tasks.
"She has always been a real grafter who never complains about putting in extra hours to finish the project."
American A person who acquires money or advantage dishonestly, especially by exploiting political office or public trust.
"The investigative journalist exposed the city councilman as a shameless grafter who profited from municipal contracts."
A person who propagates plants by inserting a shoot or bud from one plant into the stem or rootstock of another, or a specialized tool used for this purpose.
"An experienced orchard grafter can join dozens of heirloom apple scions onto hardy rootstocks in a single afternoon."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Grafter' carries opposite connotations depending on regional dialect: in British English, it is a compliment meaning a hard, diligent worker, whereas in American English, it is a pejorative term for a corrupt official or swindler.