root

root

root¹ [ro͞ot, root]

n.

[ME rote < Late OE < ON rot, akin to OE wyrt, Ger wurzel < IE base * wrād-, twig, root > Gr rhiza, L radix, root, ramus, branch]

1. the part of a plant, usually below the ground, that lacks nodes, shoots, and leaves, holds the plant in position, draws water and nourishment from the soil, and stores food

2. loosely any underground part of a plant, as a rhizome

3. the attached or embedded part of a bodily structure, as of the teeth, hair, nails, or tongue: see TOOTH

4. the source, origin, or cause of an action, quality, condition, etc.

5. a person or family that has many descendants; ancestor

6. [pl.] the close ties one has with some place or people as through birth, upbringing, long and sympathetic association, etc.

7. a lower or supporting part; base

8. an essential or basic part; core [the root of the matter]

9. Math.

a) a quantity that, multiplied by itself a specified number of times, produces a given quantity [4 is the square root (4 × 4) of 16 and the cube root (4 × 4 × 4) of 64]

b) a number that, when substituted for the unknown quantity in an equation, will satisfy the equation

10. Music the basic tone of a chord, on which the chord is constructed; often, the fundamental

11. Linguis. the fundamental element of a word or form, exclusive of all affixes and inflectional phonetic changes

vi.

1. to begin to grow by putting out roots

2. to become fixed, settled, etc.

vt.

1. to fix the roots of in the ground

2. to establish; settle

SYN.- ORIGIN

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root up or root out or root away

to pull out by the roots; remove or destroy completely

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take root

1. to begin growing by putting out roots

2. to become settled or established

root² [ro͞ot; ] for vt. & vi. 1-3, also [, root]

vt.

[formerly also wrote, rout < ME wroten < OE wrotan, to root up < wrot, snout < IE base * wer-, to tear up > L rostrum, beak]

to dig or turn (up or out) with or as with the snout

vi.

1. to dig in the ground, as with the snout

2. to search about; rummage [to root through the litter]

3. Informal to work hard; drudge [to root for a living ]

☆ 4. Informal

a) to encourage a contestant or team by applauding and cheering

b) to lend moral support to one seeking success, recovery, etc.: usually with for

rooter

n.