rootstock

noun

root·​stock ˈrüt-ˌstäk 

ˈru̇t-

1

: a rhizomatous underground part of a plant

2

: a stock for grafting consisting of a root or a piece of root

broadly : stock sense 7b

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

And last year, the European Union greenlighted a project with the commodities trader ECOM Agroindustrial to examine how to graft rootstock from TS5 and other hardy varieties onto weaker robusta plants and, potentially, onto other coffee species. —Nhung Nguyen, Washington Post, 15 May 2023

And last year, the European Union greenlit a project with the commodities trader ECOM Agroindustrial to examine how to graft rootstock from TS5 and other hardy varieties onto weaker robusta plants and, potentially, onto other coffee species. —Rebecca Tan, BostonGlobe.com, 15 May 2023

Every part of the tree below the graft union comes from the rootstock tree; the trunk, branches and fruit emerge from the scion cultivar. —oregonlive, 14 Nov. 2021

To make his case, Beard adapted France’s cuisine bourgeoise for the American market, Anglicizing the names of certain dishes, turning down the volume on others considered too complicated or adventurous, and grafting American ingredients onto the rootstock of French recipes. —Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 4 Dec. 2020

Is this coming from a rootstock that had thorns? —Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 25 June 2021

The rootstock should match the drainage. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2023

The rootstock came from Oregon. —Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022

But that didn’t happen until almost 70 years later, when, in 1990, Joseph’s son Louie and his grandsons Mark and Michael decided to plant vine rootstock. —Matt Kettmann, SFChronicle.com, 4 Aug. 2020

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Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rootstock

noun

root·​stock ˈrüt-ˌstäk 

ˈru̇t-

1

: rhizome

2

: a root or part of a root to which an aboveground plant part is grafted