Graffs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to writings or scribbles often made hastily; the act of making such markings; alternatively, the plural form of a noun denoting tags or graffiti-like inscriptions
2. Informal designation for quick, informal inscriptions or notes; the process of inscribing such marks in various surfaces; also used as a plural noun for distinct tagged writings or scrawls
3. The plural of a term describing rough sketches or writings commonly found in casual or street art contexts; the action of inscribing these marks onto surfaces; or several separate instances of such textual or graphical markings

Etymology: "Graffs" is the plural of "graff", an older variant of "graft", which in this sense refers to the scribbled marks, slogans and drawings left on walls and other surfaces in public places. The word therefore shares its history with "graffiti" and the verb "graffito", but it is the sense that matters here: "graff" survived as a spelling that writers used for the same surfaces, rather than a separate term with its own distinct meaning. The "graff" form is traced to German "Graf", meaning "count", a title of nobility. Since that is the source given, the link runs through the German word itself, and the English spelling reflects how it was adopted. Readers encountering "graffs" today can take it as the plural of a noun for informal street writing, with its origin in a German word for a rank of nobility.

Synonyms: graffiti, scribbles, scrawls, tags