Etymology PIE word *wréh₂ds From Middle English rote, root, roote (“the underground part of a plant”), from late Old English rōt, from Old Norse rót (“root”), from Proto-Germanic *wrōts (“root”), from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds (“root”); Doublet of wort, radish, and radix. Cognate with Scots ruit, rute (“root”), Danish rod (“root”), Faroese and Icelandic rót (“root”), Norwegian and Swedish rot (“root”).
The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
This tree's roots can go as deep as twenty metres underground.
A Greek historian Phylarchus describes a white root indigenous to India that caused eunuchism when a person bathed in water in which the root was steeped.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 123:
1 more example
A root caught Ulot's left foot and he almost fell.1981, Frank Herbert, God Emperor of Dune, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 6:
2
A root vegetable.
[...] two fields which should have been sown with roots in the early summer were not sown because the ploughing had not been completed early enough.1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:
3
The part of a tooth extending into the bone holding the tooth in place.
Root damage is a common problem of overbrushing.
4
The part of a hair under the skin that holds the hair in place.
The root is the only part of the hair that is alive.
5
The part of a hair near the skin that has not been dyed, permed, or otherwise treated.
He dyed his hair black last month, so the grey roots can be seen.
They were the roots out of which sprang two distinct people., Book 1
1 more example
Phallicism was, therefore, at the root of all religion, and was definitely the opponent of evil and darkness.1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 160:
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences The bottom of the thread of a threaded object.
The root diameter is the minor diameter of an external thread and the major diameter of an internal one.
9
Arithmetic Of a number or expression, a number which, when raised to a specified power, yields the specified number or expression.
The cube root of 27 is 3.
10
Arithmetic A square root (understood if no power is specified; in which case, "the root of" is often abbreviated to "root").
Multiply by root 2.
1899, Dante Gabriel Rossetti (transl.), The New Life (La Vita Nuova) of Dante Alighieri, Siddall edition, page 122. The number three is the root of the number nine; […] being multiplied merely by itself, it produceth nine, as we manifestly perceive that three times three are nine.
Human sciences, Linguistic morphology, Linguistics, Morphology, Sciences The primary lexical unit of a word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents. Inflectional stems often derive from roots.
In ſo moche that if any verbe be of the thyꝛde coniugation / I ſet out all his rotes and tenſes[…]1530 July 18, Iohan Palſgrave, “The Introduction”, in Leſclarciſſement de la langue francoyſe […] , London: Richard Pynſon, Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, page 32; reprinted as Lesclarcissement de la langue françoyse, Genève: Slatkine Reprints, 1972:
A considerable number of derived nominals, especially thematic nouns, also exhibited o-grade roots.2006, Donald Ringe, From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1), Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 12:
14
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences A word from which another word or words are derived.
15
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music The fundamental tone of any chord; the tone from whose harmonics, or overtones, a chord is composed.
16
The lowest place, position, or part.
deep to the roots of hell1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
the roots of the mountains1812, Robert Southey, Omniana:
17
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences In UNIX terminology, the first user account with complete access to the operating system and its configuration, found at the root of the directory structure; the person who manages accounts on a UNIX system.
I have to log in as root before I do that.
18
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences The highest directory of a directory structure which may contain both files and subdirectories.
Etymology PIE word *wréh₂ds From Middle English rote, root, roote (“the underground part of a plant”), from late Old English rōt, from Old Norse rót (“root”), from Proto-Germanic *wrōts (“root”), from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds (“root”); Doublet of wort, radish, and radix. Cognate with Scots ruit, rute (“root”), Danish rod (“root”), Faroese and Icelandic rót (“root”), Norwegian and Swedish rot (“root”).
1
To grow roots; to enter the earth, as roots; to take root and begin to grow.
The cuttings are starting to root.
In deep grounds the weeds root the deeper.1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:
1 more example
Some old, underfired clay pantiles might be damaged by button mosses rooting in cracks and fissures. But most post-war tiles are hard enough to withstand a bit of moss growth.2014 October 26, Jeff Howell, “Is the Japanese knotweed threat exaggerated? Our troubleshooter calls for calm about Japanese knotweed in the garden – and moss on the roof”, in The Daily Telegraph (Property), archived from the original on 21 Jan 2015, [print version: Don't panic about an overhyped invasion, 25 October 2014, p. P13]:
2
To prepare, oversee, or otherwise cause the rooting of cuttings.
We rooted some cuttings last summer.
3
To fix firmly; to establish.
If any irregularity chanced to intervene and to cause misapprehensions, he gave them not leave to root and fasten by concealment.1823, Gilbert Burnet, The Life of Sir Matthew Hale, Knt., Sometime Lord Chief Justice of His Majesty's Court of King's-Bench:
Small theater companies come and go very quickly — many times after one show — but community response to Triangle has been strong, and there is a good chance that they will make it through those early growing stages and firmly root.1981 April 18, Michael Bronski, “Good Production — Bad Play”, in Gay Community News, page 10:
1 more example
Massacres that take place during war often seem to be rooted in irrational emotion.2020 October 15, Frank Pasquale, “‘Machines set loose to slaughter’: the dangerous rise of military AI”, in The Guardian:
4
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, SciencesSlang To get root or privileged access on (a computer system or mobile phone), often through bypassing some security mechanism.
We rooted his box and planted a virus on it.
I want to root my Android phone so I can remove the preinstalled crapware.
root
verb
Etymology From Middle English wrōten (“to dig with the snout”), from Old English wrōtan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrōtan, from Proto-Germanic *wrōtaną (“to dig out, to root”). Related to Old English wrōt (“snout; trunk”). Loss of initial w- probably due to influence from the related noun (Etymology 1).
Such tunges ſhuld be torne out by the harde rootes,c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.
2
Broadly To seek favour or advancement by low arts or grovelling servility; to fawn.
Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog!c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
3
To rummage; to search as if by digging in soil.
rooting about in a junk-filled drawer
4
Of a baby: to turn the head and open the mouth in search of food.
When your baby is rooting, his head will turn to the side and he will open and close his mouth. If you put your finger in your baby's hand, she has a grasping reflex that makes her curl her fingers around yours and hold on.2016, Rachel Waddilove, The Baby Book: How to enjoy year one: revised and updated, page 179:
5
To root out; to abolish.
I will go root away the noisome weeds.1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
The Lord rooted them out of their land [...] and cast them into another land.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 29:28:
6
Equestrianism, Hobbies, Horses, Lifestyle, Pets, SportsOf a horse To tug or pull at the reins aggressively by driving the head downwards while wearing a bit.
Etymology From Middle English wrōten (“to dig with the snout”), from Old English wrōtan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrōtan, from Proto-Germanic *wrōtaną (“to dig out, to root”). Related to Old English wrōt (“snout; trunk”). Loss of initial w- probably due to influence from the related noun (Etymology 1).
1
An act of rummaging or searching.
It was always sensible to get off the busy streets if you were going to have a root inside your girlfriend's bra.2002, Tom Reilly, Hollow Be Thy Name, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN:
It'll come to me eventually, but I think I'll go over to Bristol tomorrow afternoon and have a root through the medical school library.2011 August 1, Bernard Knight, According to the Evidence, Severn House Publishers Ltd, →ISBN:
1 more example
It was not likely a tapestry over two hundred feet long and twenty inches wide was in the dustbin, but Pavel took a root through Laurent's dustbin anyway, just because it was there.2016 January 20, Joan Smith, The Virgin and the Unicorn, Belgrave House, →ISBN:
Ken was in the good mood he'd been in for weeks. Nothing like a regular root to turn him into the jolly green giant.2018, Melissa Lucashenko, Too Much Lip, University of Queensland Press, published 2023, page 113: