Definition of 'root'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense roots
, present participle rooting
, past tense, past participle rooted
1. countable noun [usually plural]
The roots of a plant are the parts of it that grow under the ground.
...the twisted roots of an apple tree.
2. verb
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
...root crops such as carrots and potatoes.
4. countable noun
5. plural noun [usually poss NOUN]
6. uncountable noun [oft NOUN noun]
Roots is used to refer to pop
music,
especially
reggae, that is strongly
influenced by the
traditional music of the culture that it
originally
came from.
...mixing older Jamaican styles such as bluebeat and ska with roots reggae and dub.
7. countable noun
You can refer to the cause of a
problem or of an
unpleasant
situation as the root of it or the roots of it.
We got to the root of the problem.
[+ of]
This lack of recognition was at the root of the dispute.
His sense of guilt had its roots in his childhood loss of his younger sister.
They were treating symptoms and not the root cause.
8. countable noun
The root of a word is the part that contains its meaning and to which other parts can be
added.
[technical] The word 'secretary' comes from the same Latin root as the word 'secret'.
9. verb
If you root through or in something, you search for something by moving other things around.
She rooted through the bag, found what she wanted, and headed toward the door.
[VERB preposition]
Dogs root in the debris at the roadside.
[VERB preposition]
10. See also
rooted,
cube root,
grass roots,
square root
11.
See
root and branch
12.
See
put down roots
13.
See
take root
Phrasal verbs:
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Image of
root
© SeDmi, shutterstock
Video: pronunciation of
root
Word Frequency
root in British English 1
noun
2.
3.
a.
your analysis strikes at the root of the problem
b.
(as modifier)
the root cause of the problem
6. (plural)
a person's
sense of
belonging in a
community, place, etc, esp the one in which he or she was born or
brought up
7.
an
ancestor or
antecedent
9.
the form of a
word that
remains after
removal of all
affixes; a
morpheme with
lexical
meaning that is not further
subdivisible into other morphemes with lexical meaning
Compare
stem1 (sense 9)10. mathematics
a number or
quantity that when
multiplied by itself a certain number of times
equals a
given number or quantity
3 is a cube root of 27
11. Also called: solution mathematics
2 is a root of x3 – 2x – 4 = 0
14.
root and branch
verb
18. Australian and New Zealand vulgar, slang
to have sexual intercourse (with)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
rooter (ˈrooter) noun
rootlike (ˈrootˌlike)
adjective
rooty (ˈrooty)
adjective
rootiness (ˈrootiness)
noun
Word origin
Old English rōt, from Old Norse; related to Old English wyrt wortWord Frequency
root in British English 2
verb (intransitive)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
rooter (ˈrooter) noun
Word origin
C16: changed (through influence of root1) from earlier wroot, from Old English wrōtan; related to Old English wrōt snout, Middle Dutch wrōte mole
Word Frequency
root in British English 3
verb
(intransitive; usually foll by for) informal
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
rooter (ˈrooter) noun
Word origin
C19: perhaps a variant of Scottish rout to make a loud noise, from Old Norse rauta to roar
Word Frequency
root in American English 1
noun
1.
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.
9. Ancient Mathematics
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
verb transitive
14.
to fix the roots of in the ground
15.
to establish; settle
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈorigin
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME rote < Late OE < ON rot, akin to OE wyrt, Ger wurzel < IE base *wrād-, twig, root > Gr rhiza, L radix, root, ramus, branch
Word Frequency
root in American English 2
verb transitive
1.
verb intransitive
2.
to dig in the ground, as with the snout
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
rooter (ˈrooter)
noun
Word origin
formerly also wrote, rout < ME wroten < OE wrotan, to root up < wrot, snout < IE base *wer-, to tear up > L rostrum, beak
Word lists with
root
terms used in botany,
parts of plantsQuick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
Which term used in botany am I?
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants, usually consisting of a flat green blade attached to the stem directly or by a stalk
Which term used in botany am I?
a mature fertilized plant ovule, consisting of an embryo and its food store surrounded by a protective seed coat (testa)
Which term used in botany am I?
a meristem that increases the girth of stems and roots by producing additional xylem and phloem
Which term used in botany am I?
a hard protective outer layer of the seeds of flowering plants; seed coat
Which term used in botany am I?
the hollow basal region of a carpel containing one or more ovules. In some plants the carpels are united to form a single compound ovary
Your score:
Trends of
root
View usage for:
In other languages
root
British English: root
/ruːt/ NOUN
The roots of a plant are the parts that grow underground.
...the twisted roots of an apple tree.
- American English: root
- Arabic: جِذْر
- Brazilian Portuguese: raiz
- Chinese: 根
- Croatian: korijen
- Czech: kořen
- Danish: rod
- Dutch: wortel
- European Spanish: raíz
- Finnish: juuri
- French: racine
- German: Wurzel
- Greek: ρίζα
- Italian: radice
- Japanese: 根
- Korean: 뿌리
- Norwegian: rot
- Polish: korzeń
- European Portuguese: raiz
- Romanian: rădăcină
- Russian: корень
- Latin American Spanish: raíz
- Swedish: rot
- Thai: ราก
- Turkish: kök
- Ukrainian: корінь
- Vietnamese: rễ cây
British English: root ADJECTIVE
Root vegetables or root crops are grown for their roots which are large and can be eaten.
...root crops such as carrots and potatoes.
- American English: root
- Brazilian Portuguese: tuberculoso
- Chinese: 块根的
- European Spanish: de tubérculo
- French: à turbercules
- German: Wurzel-
- Italian: che consiste nella radice
- Japanese: 根菜の
- Korean: 뿌리의
- European Portuguese: tuberculoso
- Latin American Spanish: de tubérculo
British English: root VERB
plant If you root a plant or cutting or if it roots, roots form on the bottom of its stem and it starts to grow.
Most plants will root in about six to eight weeks.
- American English: root
- Brazilian Portuguese: enraizar
- Chinese: 生根
- European Spanish: echar raíces
- French: s'enraciner
- German: Wurzeln schlagen
- Italian: attecchire
- Japanese: 根づかせる/根づく
- Korean: 뿌리가 나다
- European Portuguese: enraizar
- Latin American Spanish: echar raíces
British English: root VERB
search If you root through or in something, you search for something by moving other things around.
She rooted through the bag, found what she wanted, and headed toward the door.
Nearby words of
root
Source
Definition of root from the
Collins English Dictionary
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Quiz Review
Question: 1
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Score: 0 / 5
complex plot or vegetable plot?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
vegetable plot
complex plot
The warm wet weather is working wonders on the .
field questions or raise questions?
Which version is correct?
cut the dividends or reap dividends?
Which version is correct?
civil action or swift action?
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swift action
civil action
Witnesses praised them for their .
long-term goal or winning goal?
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winning goal
long-term goal
I scored the with ten minutes to go.
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Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
happy or pleased?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
happy
pleased
as Larry
apple or plum?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
apple
plum
the of your eye
guts or socks?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
socks
guts
work your off
stomach or throat?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
throat
stomach
have a frog in your
red or white?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
white
red
a elephant
Your score: