root

1 of 4

noun

ˈrüt

ˈru̇t

plural roots

Synonyms of root next

: 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

: any subterranean plant part (such as a true root or a bulb, tuber, rootstock, or other modified stem) especially when fleshy and edible

: the part of a tooth within the socket

also : any of the processes into which this part is often divided see tooth illustration

: the enlarged basal part of a hair within the skin

: 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

: the part of an organ or physical structure by which it is attached to the body

the root of the tongue

: 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)

: one or more progenitors of a group of descendants

—usually used in plural

: an underlying support : basis

: the essential core : heart

—often used in the phrase at root

: close relationship with an environment : tie

—usually used in plural

They put down roots in a farming community.

: a quantity taken an indicated number of times as an equal factor

2 is a fourth root of 16.

: a number that reduces an equation to an identity when it is substituted for one variable

: the lower part : base

: the part by which an object is attached to something else

: 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)

: the lowest tone of a chord (such as C in a C minor chord) when the tones are arranged in ascending thirds

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 userroot directory

rooted

ˈrü-təd

ˈru̇-

adjective

rootedness noun

rootless

ˈrüt-ləs

ˈru̇t-

adjective

rootlessness noun

rootlike

ˈrüt-ˌlīk

ˈru̇t-

adjective

verb (1)

rooted; rooting; roots

transitive verb

: to furnish with or enable to develop roots

: to fix or implant by or as if by roots

: to remove altogether by or as if by pulling out by the roots

—usually used with out

root out dissenters

intransitive verb

: to grow roots or take root

: to have an origin or base

root

3 of 4

verb (2)

rooted; rooting; roots

intransitive verb

: to turn up or dig in the earth with the snout : grub

: to poke or dig about

transitive verb

: to turn over, dig up, or discover and bring to light

—usually used with out

root out the cause of the problem

root

4 of 4

verb (3)

ˈrüt

also

ˈru̇t

rooted; rooting; roots

intransitive verb

: to noisily applaud or encourage a contestant or team : cheer

: to wish the success of or lend support to someone or something

rooter noun

Choose the Right Synonym for root

origin, source, inception, root mean the point at which something begins its course or existence.

origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being.

an investigation into the origin of baseball

source applies more often to the point where something springs into being.

the source of the Nile

the source of recurrent trouble

inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes.

the business has been a success since its inception

root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned.

the real root of the violence

Example Sentences

Noun 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

Noun

Consuelo Martinez, who lives in the South Side of Chicago, is part of a team affiliated with Kids First Chicago that has convened parents to discuss enrollment dips and study their root causes. —

Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2023 Guterres said the world must address the climate crisis as the root cause of rising seas, and the Security Council has a critical role to play in building the political will required. —

Jennifer Mcdermott, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2023 Those failures largely centered on a sticky protein called amyloid beta, which forms plaques in the brains of many people with the disease and was hypothesized to be its root cause. —

Ryan Cross, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Feb. 2023 Instead of tracking individual metrics such as CPU and RAM utilization, observability brings events, logs, and traces into the context to quickly identify the root cause of a problem. —

Janakiram Msv, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023 McCargar said that power building is about developing and supporting the development of young people’s critical consciousness to understand root causes of systems that shape their community, and building young people’s power. —

Deidre Montague, Hartford Courant, 14 Feb. 2023 That shortage, which has persisted for decades and was exacerbated by the building slump after the Great Recession, is the root cause of steadily rising rents and home prices. —

Ben Casselman, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2023 The emphasis on storing more natural gas downplays the root cause, according to Fred Heutte of the NW Energy Coalition. —

Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2023 The politicians in the chamber could not agree on what laws should be passed or the root causes of a nation’s shame. —

Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023

Verb

After three years of traveling through the lowest part of your chart—your fourth house of home, family, and ancestry—you’ve likely spent a lot of time and energy finding a place to root yourself. —

Kirah Tabourn, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2023 We are left with an awkward question: for whom, exactly, are we supposed to root? —

Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2023 Inflation eased for a seventh month straight in January, but interest rates will keep rising as the Fed works harder to root stubbornly high prices out of the economy. —

Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2023 In my house, Friday is officially Fridge Forage Day, a time to root around the fridge (and pantry) like a truffle-hunting piglet, hoping to unearth a treasure. —

Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 30 Jan. 2023 When Les Bleus faces off against Morocco on Wednesday, many French nationals of Amazigh and Arab origin, of Black skin and African roots, will collectively root against the black and blue history of France when staring at their screens. —

Khaled A. Beydoun, CNN, 13 Dec. 2022 In some spots, the rocks are piled high enough to peek out of the water, and mangroves and other coastal plants will root there. —

Alex Harris, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2022 In Brazil, where inflation has accelerated to 10.74% -- its fastest pace in 18 years -- and some poor people root through meat scraps for protein, its one complaint in demonstrations against President Jair Bolsonaro's government in recent months. —

Arkansas Online, 19 Dec. 2021 Around Sapphire, the armadillos happily root around in the dirt with their snouts and claws, feasting on insects at elevations above 4,000 feet. —

Oliver Milman, Wired, 20 Nov. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'root.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English rōt, from Old Norse; akin to Old English wyrt root, Latin radix, Greek rhiza

Verb (2)

alteration of wroot, from Middle English wroten, from Old English wrōtan; akin to Old High German ruozzan to root

Verb (3)

perhaps alteration of rout entry 5

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Verb (2)

1516, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (3)

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of root was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing root

Articles Related to root

Unmixing the Mix-up of 'Root,' 'Route,'...

Homographs and homophones are at the root of it all.

The Roots of 'Radical'

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Which Word Pair Shares a Common...

Find the cousins

Cite this Entry

Style

“Root.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

root

1 of 4 noun

ˈrüt

ˈru̇t

: the leafless usually underground part of a plant that absorbs water and minerals, stores food, and holds the plant in place

: an underground plant part especially when fleshy and edible

: the part of a tooth within the socket

: 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

: an original cause : source

the roots of evil

: the ancestors of a person or a group of persons

people tracing their roots

: something that lies under and supports

the roots of a mountain chain

: core entry 1 sense 1, heart

the root of the problem

: a close relationship with a social environment

has roots in the South

: 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

: a solution of a polynomial equation with one unknown

(x + 1) (x - 1) = 0 has the roots x = -1 and x = 1

: a word or part of a word from which other words are formed

"butler" and "bottle" come from the same Latin root

rooted

-əd

adjective

rootless

-ləs

adjective

rootlike

-ˌlīk

adjective

root

2 of 4 verb

: to form or enable to form roots

: to fix or become fixed by or as if by roots : take root

: 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

root

4 of 4 verb

ˈrüt

ˈru̇t

: cheer entry 2 sense 2

: to wish for the success of someone or something

rooting for the underdog

rooter noun

Medical Definition

root

noun

ˈrüt

ˈru̇t

: 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

: any subterranean plant part (as a true root or a bulb, tuber, rootstock, or other modified stem) especially when fleshy and edible

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

: the enlarged basal part of a hair within the skin

called also hair root