plural roots
1
a
: the usually underground part of a seed plant body that originates usually from the hypocotyl, functions as an organ of absorption, aeration, and food storage or as a means of anchorage and support, and differs from a stem especially in lacking nodes, buds, and leaves
b
: any subterranean plant part (such as a true root or a bulb, tuber, rootstock, or other modified stem) especially when fleshy and edible
2
a
: the part of a tooth within the socket
also
: any of the processes into which this part is often divided see tooth illustration
b
: the enlarged basal part of a hair within the skin
c
: the proximal end of a nerve
especially
: the initial segment of a spinal nerve where it branches from the spinal cord : nerve root see also dorsal root, ventral root
d
: the part of an organ or physical structure by which it is attached to the body
the root of the tongue
3
a
: something that is an origin or source (as of a condition or quality)
… the love of money is the root of all evil …—
1 Timothy 6:10 (King James Version)
1 Timothy 6:10 (King James Version)
b
roots plural
(1)
: one or more progenitors of a group of descendants
have traced their roots back several generations
(2)
: a special or close relationship with an environment
—used with in
has roots in the community
c
: an underlying support : basis
one of the roots of democracy
d
: the essential core : heart
the root of the matter
got to the root cause of the problem
—often used in the phrases at root or at the root ofThe beliefs are the same at root.
Simple greed was at the root of the crime.
4
a
: a quantity taken an indicated number of times as an equal factor
2 is a fourth root of 16.
b
: a number that reduces an equation to an identity when it is substituted for one variable
5
a
: the lower part : base
b
: the part by which an object is attached to something else
6
: the simple element inferred as the basis from which a word is derived by phonetic change or by extension (such as composition or the addition of an affix or inflectional ending)
7
: the lowest tone of a chord (such as C in a C minor chord) when the tones are arranged in ascending thirds
8
computers
: a level of access to a computer system that allows complete access to files on the system and complete control over the system's functions
—usually used before another noun
root user
root directory
rootedness
noun
rootlessness
noun
see also:
Examples of root in a Sentence
Noun (1)
Elm trees have shallow roots.
Pull weeds up by the roots so that they don't grow back.
You can tell that she dyes her hair blonde because her dark roots are showing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Timing is critical for corn gluten to be effective, as seeds that have already germinated and formed roots will not be affected.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
Leo's visit signals a return of papal attention to Europe's Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away.
—CBS News, 6 June 2026
Leo's visit signals a return of papal attention to Europe’s Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for root
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Noun
In the Appalachian mountains, this form took particular root.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Timing is critical for corn gluten to be effective, as seeds that have already germinated and formed roots will not be affected.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
Leo's visit signals a return of papal attention to Europe's Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away.
—CBS News, 6 June 2026
Leo's visit signals a return of papal attention to Europe’s Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for root
Cite this Entry
“Root.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
a
: the leafless usually underground part of a plant that absorbs water and minerals, stores food, and holds the plant in place
b
: an underground plant part especially when fleshy and edible
2
a
: the part of a tooth within the socket
b
: the base or end of a bodily part (as a hair or a fingernail) or the part by which it is attached to the body
3
a
: an original cause : source
the roots of evil
b
: the ancestors of a person or a group of persons
people tracing their roots
c
: something that lies under and supports
the roots of a mountain chain
d
: core entry 1 sense 1, heart
the root of the problem
e
: a close relationship with a social environment
has roots in the South
4
a
: a number that when multiplied by itself a given number of times equals a specified number
2 is a 4th root of 16 because 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 16
b
: a solution of a polynomial equation with one unknown
(x + 1) (x - 1) = 0 has the roots x = -1 and x = 1
5
: a word or part of a word from which other words are formed
"butler" and "bottle" come from the same Latin root
root
2 of 4 verb1
a
: to form or enable to form roots
b
: to fix or become fixed by or as if by roots : take root
2
: to remove by or as if by pulling out the roots
root out spies
root
3 of 4 verb
: to turn up or dig in the soil with the snout
pigs rooting for fungi
2
: to wish for the success of someone or something
rooting for the underdog
rooter
noun
Etymology
Noun
Old English rōt "root of a plant"; of Norse origin
Verb
perhaps an altered form of rout, a rare word meaning "to low or bellow like cattle"
Medical Definition
1
a
: the usually underground part of a seed plant body that functions as an organ of absorption, aeration, and food storage or as a means of anchorage and support and that differs from a stem especially in lacking nodes, buds, and leaves
b
: any subterranean plant part (as a true root or a bulb, tuber, rootstock, or other modified stem) especially when fleshy and edible
2
a(1)
: the part of a tooth within the socket
(2)
: any of the processes into which the root of a tooth is often divided
b
: the enlarged basal part of a hair within the skin
called also hair root
c
: the proximal end of a nerve
especially
: the initial segment of a spinal nerve where it branches from the spinal cord : nerve root see also dorsal root, ventral root
d
: the part of an organ or physical structure by which it is attached to the body
the root of the tongue
Legal Definition
root
noun
in the civil law of Louisiana
: descendant
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