Confusing Words from Graft to Grater

Are the stops on your trip graft or graphed? Was last night’s parade grander or grandeur than last year’s? Would you use granite or granted in your landscaping? Was the play grate or great? Would you shred carrots with a grater or a greater?

graft, graphed
In horticulture, a graft is a bud, shoot, or scion of a plant inserted in a groove, slit, or the like in a stem or stock of another plant in which it continues to grow.
The graft from the plum tree grafted into the peach tree enabled the tree to produce both fruits.

In surgery, a graft is a portion of living tissue surgically transplanted from one part of an individual to another, or from one individual to another, for its adhesion and growth.
The skin graft the burn victim received was successful.

Graphed means plotted, like on a map or chart.
The stops on their journey through the Appalachian Mountains were graphed before they left on their trip.

Anna's hummingbird, the grandeur of nature, wikipedia

Anna’s hummingbird, the grandeur of nature, wikipedia

grander, grandeur
Grander means even more impressive in size, appearance, or general effect.
The cast’s performance on the opening night of the play was great, but their acting the next evening was grander.
Grandeur is stateliness, majesty, pomp, or splendor.
The grandeur of the royal court caused the child’s eyes to grow wide in amazement.

pegmatitic granite, flickr

pegmatitic granite, flickr

granite, granted
Granite is an igneous rock composed of mostly two minerals: quartz and feldspar.
Granite in varying shades of pink, gray, and white decorated the landscape.
Granted is the past tense of grant, and grant means to permit as a favor or to acknowledge the validity of. The idiom take for granted means to accept without question or objection; assume.
Do not take for granted that there is someone out there who will do the job for free.

fireplace with grate, wikipedia

fireplace with grate, wikipedia

grate, great
Grate has many definitions. As a noun, one of the definitions is a frame of metal bars for holding fuel when burning, as in a fireplace, furnace, or stove. As a verb, one of the definitions is to have an irritating or unpleasant effect.
Do her constant chattering and shrill voice grate on your nerves?
Great means noble, grand, elaborate, or extremely good.
The author’s great idea for a new book excited him and everyone he told about it.

grater, wikipedia

grater, wikipedia

grater, greater
A grater is a kitchen utensil with sharp-edged perforations for grating carrots, cheese, etc.
Rather than using a knife to cut up her vegetables, Shelia preferred to use a grater.
If an idea or thing is greater, it is more important, larger, or more distinguished.
Harvey’s plan for the rebuilding of the town was chosen as the greater one out of all the plans submitted.

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