| root | | |
| n. (plant) | 1. root | (botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground. |
| ~ phytology, botany | the branch of biology that studies plants. |
| ~ calamus | the aromatic root of the sweet flag used medicinally. |
| ~ cocoyam, dasheen, eddo, taro | edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants. |
| ~ ginseng | aromatic root of ginseng plants. |
| ~ horseradish, horseradish root | the root of the horseradish plant; it is grated or ground and used for seasoning. |
| ~ radish | pungent edible root of any of various cultivated radish plants. |
| ~ chicory, chicory root | the dried root of the chicory plant: used as a coffee substitute. |
| ~ oyster plant, salsify | edible root of the salsify plant. |
| ~ hottentot's bread, hottentot bread | thick edible rootstock of elephant's-foot. |
| ~ briarroot | hard woody root of the briar Erica arborea. |
| ~ orrisroot, orris | fragrant rootstock of various irises especially Florentine iris; used in perfumes and medicines. |
| ~ sarsaparilla root | dried root of any of various plants of the genus Smilax used as a flavoring agent. |
| ~ licorice root | root of licorice used in flavoring e.g. candy and liqueurs and medicines. |
| ~ senega | dried root of two plants of the genus Polygala containing an irritating saponin. |
| ~ mandrake, mandrake root | the root of the mandrake plant; used medicinally or as a narcotic. |
| ~ cassava, manioc | cassava root eaten as a staple food after drying and leaching; source of tapioca. |
| ~ carrot | deep orange edible root of the cultivated carrot plant. |
| ~ parsnip | the whitish root of cultivated parsnip. |
| ~ plant organ | a functional and structural unit of a plant or fungus. |
| ~ parenchyma | the primary tissue of higher plants composed of thin-walled cells that remain capable of cell division even when mature; constitutes the greater part of leaves, roots, the pulp of fruits, and the pith of stems. |
| ~ root system, rootage | a developed system of roots. |
| ~ pneumatophore | an air-filled root (submerged or exposed) that can function as a respiratory organ of a marsh or swamp plant. |
| ~ taproot | (botany) main root of a plant growing straight downward from the stem. |
| ~ adventitious root | root growing in an unusual location e.g. from a stem. |
| ~ root cap | thimble-shaped mass of cells covering and protecting the growing tip of a root. |
| ~ rootlet | small root or division of a root. |
| ~ root hair | thin hairlike outgrowth of an epidermal cell just behind the tip; absorbs nutrients from the soil. |
| ~ prop root | a root that grows from and supports the stem above the ground in plants such as mangroves. |
| ~ bark | tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. |
| n. (location) | 2. beginning, origin, root, rootage, source | the place where something begins, where it springs into being.; "the Italian beginning of the Renaissance"; "Jupiter was the origin of the radiation"; "Pittsburgh is the source of the Ohio River"; "communism's Russian root" |
| ~ derivation | the source or origin from which something derives (i.e. comes or issues).; "he prefers shoes of Italian derivation"; "music of Turkish derivation" |
| ~ spring | a point at which water issues forth. |
| ~ headspring, fountainhead, head | the source of water from which a stream arises.; "they tracked him back toward the head of the stream" |
| ~ headwater | the source of a river.; "the headwaters of the Nile" |
| ~ wellhead, wellspring | the source of water for a well. |
| ~ jumping-off place, point of departure | a place from which an enterprise or expedition is launched.; "one day when I was at a suitable jumping-off place I decided to see if I could find him"; "my point of departure was San Francisco" |
| ~ place of origin, provenance, provenience, birthplace, cradle | where something originated or was nurtured in its early existence.; "the birthplace of civilization" |
| ~ home | place where something began and flourished.; "the United States is the home of basketball" |
| ~ point source | a concentrated source (especially of radiation or pollution) that is spatially constricted. |
| ~ trail head, trailhead | the beginning of a trail. |
| ~ point | the precise location of something; a spatially limited location.; "she walked to a point where she could survey the whole street" |
| n. (communication) | 3. base, radical, root, root word, stem, theme | (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed.; "thematic vowels are part of the stem" |
| ~ linguistics | the scientific study of language. |
| ~ descriptor, form, signifier, word form | the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something.; "the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached" |
| n. (quantity) | 4. root | a number that, when multiplied by itself some number of times, equals a given number. |
| ~ number | a concept of quantity involving zero and units.; "every number has a unique position in the sequence" |
| ~ square root | a number that when multiplied by itself equals a given number. |
| ~ cube root | a number that when multiplied three times equals a given number. |
| n. (group) | 5. root, solution | the set of values that give a true statement when substituted into an equation. |
| ~ set | (mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols.; "the set of prime numbers is infinite" |
| n. (person) | 6. ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, ascendent, root | someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent). |
| ~ ancestress | a woman ancestor. |
| ~ forbear, forebear | a person from whom you are descended. |
| ~ forefather, father, sire | the founder of a family.; "keep the faith of our forefathers" |
| ~ foremother | a woman ancestor. |
| ~ primogenitor, progenitor | an ancestor in the direct line. |
| ~ relative, relation | a person related by blood or marriage.; "police are searching for relatives of the deceased"; "he has distant relations back in New Jersey" |
| n. (communication) | 7. etymon, root | a simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes. |
| ~ descriptor, form, signifier, word form | the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something.; "the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached" |
| n. (body) | 8. root, tooth root | the part of a tooth that is embedded in the jaw and serves as support. |
| ~ anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure | a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing.; "he has good bone structure" |
| ~ tooth | hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates; used for biting and chewing or for attack and defense. |
| ~ cementum, cement | a specialized bony substance covering the root of a tooth. |
| v. (change) | 9. root | take root and begin to grow.; "this plant roots quickly" |
| ~ grow | become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain.; "The problem grew too large for me"; "Her business grew fast" |
| ~ root | cause to take roots. |
| v. (stative) | 10. root | come into existence, originate.; "The problem roots in her depression" |
| ~ become | come into existence.; "What becomes has duration" |
| v. (contact) | 11. root | plant by the roots. |
| ~ plant, set | put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground.; "Let's plant flowers in the garden" |
| v. (contact) | 12. root, rootle, rout | dig with the snout.; "the pig was rooting for truffles" |
| ~ cut into, delve, dig, turn over | turn up, loosen, or remove earth.; "Dig we must"; "turn over the soil for aeration" |
| v. (change) | 13. root, settle, settle down, steady down, take root | become settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style.; "He finally settled down" |
| ~ stabilise, stabilize | become stable or more stable.; "The economy stabilized" |
| ~ roost | settle down or stay, as if on a roost. |
| v. (change) | 14. root | cause to take roots. |
| ~ grow | cause to grow or develop.; "He grows vegetables in his backyard" |
| ~ root | take root and begin to grow.; "this plant roots quickly" |
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