root
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: ro͞ot
ipa: /ɹuːt/
ipa: /ɹʉt/
ipa: /ɹʊt/
rhymes: -uːt
rhymes: -ʊt
homophone: route (some pronunciations)
homophone: rute
Forms: form: roots
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 (Icelandic rót), from Proto-Germanic *wrōts, from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds (“root”); Doublet of wort, radish, and radix.
Senses: examples: text: This tree's roots can go as deep as twenty metres underground.
text: 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.
ref: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 123:
text: A root caught Ulot's left foot and he almost fell.
ref: 1981, Frank Herbert, God Emperor of Dune, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 6:
hyponyms: taproot
glosses: 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.
examples: text: [...] 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.
ref: 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:
glosses: A root vegetable.
examples: text: Root damage is a common problem of overbrushing.
glosses: The part of a tooth extending into the bone holding the tooth in place.
examples: text: The root is the only part of the hair that is alive.
glosses: The part of a hair under the skin that holds the hair in place.
examples: text: He dyed his hair black last month, so the grey roots can be seen.
glosses: The part of a hair near the skin that has not been dyed, permed, or otherwise treated.
examples: text: The love of money is the root of all evil.
text: They were the roots out of which sprang two distinct people.
ref: , Book 1
text: Phallicism was, therefore, at the root of all religion, and was definitely the opponent of evil and darkness.
ref: 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 160:
synonyms: basis
origin
source
glosses: The primary source; origin.
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: The section of a wing immediately adjacent to the fuselage.
examples: text: The root diameter is the minor diameter of an external thread and the major diameter of an internal one.
topics: engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
antonyms: crest
glosses: The bottom of the thread of a threaded object.
examples: text: The cube root of 27 is 3.
topics: arithmetic
glosses: Of a number or expression, a number which, when raised to a specified power, yields the specified number or expression.
examples: text: Multiply by root 2.
text: 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.
topics: arithmetic
glosses: A square root (understood if no power is specified; in which case, "the root of" is often abbreviated to "root").
topics: mathematical-analysis
mathematics
sciences
synonyms: zero
antonyms: pole
holonyms: kernel
glosses: A zero (of an equation).
topics: computing
engineering
graph-theory
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: The single node of a tree that has no parent.
examples: text: In ſo moche that if any verbe be of the thyꝛde coniugation / I ſet out all his rotes and tenſes[…]
ref: 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:
text: A considerable number of derived nominals, especially thematic nouns, also exhibited o-grade roots.
ref: 2006, Donald Ringe, From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1), Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 12:
topics: human-sciences
linguistic-morphology
linguistics
morphology
sciences
coordinate_terms: stem
glosses: 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.
topics: human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
synonyms: etymon
glosses: A word from which another word or words are derived.
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: The fundamental tone of any chord; the tone from whose harmonics, or overtones, a chord is composed.
examples: text: deep to the roots of hell
ref: 1667, 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:
text: the roots of the mountains
ref: 1812, Robert Southey, Omniana:
glosses: The lowest place, position, or part.
examples: text: I have to log in as root before I do that.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
synonyms: superuser
root account
root user
glosses: 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.
examples: text: I installed the files in the root directory.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
coordinate_terms: home directory
glosses: The highest directory of a directory structure which may contain both files and subdirectories.
glosses: A penis, especially the base of a penis.
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: abscess root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: advanced tongue root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: aerial root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: Armillaria root disease
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: Armillaria root rot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: arrowroot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: arrow-root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: asparagus root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: bare-root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: beet root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: bellyache root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: biscuit root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: Boott's rattlesnake root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: bowman's root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: bread-root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: briar-root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: buttress-root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: buttress root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: cabbage root fly
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: Canada root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: cancer root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: celery root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: characteristic root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: chaya root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: chay root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: China root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: china-root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: china root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: choy root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: complex conjugate root theorem
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: cotton root rot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: Culver's root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: daisy roots
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: deep-rooted
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: dick root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: digital root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: dorsal root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: dorsal root ganglion
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: eddy root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: ginger root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: grass roots
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: grass-roots
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: High John root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: jaundice root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: John the Conqueror root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: licorice root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: liquorice root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: memory root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: money is the root of all evil
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: mortification root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: multiple root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: mushroom root rot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: paintroot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: papoose root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: plank root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: pleurisy root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: primitive root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: principal root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: principal square root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: put down roots
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: rabbit root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: rational root theorem
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: rattlesnake root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: retracted tongue root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: rheumatism root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-and-branch
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root and branch
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-and-brancher
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root around
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root bark
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root beer
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root beer float
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-bound
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root canal
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root cap
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root cause
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-cause
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root cellar
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root cellaring
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root disease
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root doctor
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-fallen
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root field
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root fly
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root gap
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root hair
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: rootkit
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root kit
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-knot nematode
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: rootless
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root mean square
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root mean square velocity
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root morpheme
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root nodule
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root noun
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-noun
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root of all evil
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root of scarcity
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root of unity
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root parsley
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root plant
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root position
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root pressure
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root-rocker
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root rot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: roots
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: roots music
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: roots reggae
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: roots-reggae
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: roots-rock
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: roots rock
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: rootsy
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root system
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root tea
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root vole
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: root word
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: Seneca root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: sensory root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: shaya root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: shoestring root rot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: simple root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: square root decomposition
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: square root of fuck all
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: squaw root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: starch-root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: stilt root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: strawberry root weevil
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: strictly roots
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: take root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: taproot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: Texas root rot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: the love of money is the root of all evil
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: tulip root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: unicorn root
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: uproot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: violet root rot
sense: Terms derived from root (noun)
word: white rattlesnake root
Related terms: word: successor
sense: addition, summation
english: addend; total
translation: addend; total
alt: augend
word: + =
sense: addition, summation
english: sum
translation: sum
alt: summand
word: + +... =
sense: subtraction
roman: subtrahend
english: difference
translation: difference
word: − =
sense: multiplication, factorization; multiplier
roman: multiplicand
english: product
translation: product
word: × =
sense: multiplication, factorization; factor
english: factor; factor; product
translation: factor; factor; product
word: × ×... =
sense: division; dividend
roman: quotient
word: ÷ =
sense: numerator) / (denominator) = (quotient
english: with remaining
translation: with remaining
alt: quotient
word: Or sometimes
sense: exponentiation; base
english: power
translation: power
alt: exponent
word: =
sense: root extraction; degree
roman: radicand
word: √ =
sense: logarithmization
english: logarithm
translation: logarithm
alt: antilogarithm
word: log(base) =