root

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The part of a plant that grows underground and takes in water and nutrients.

   The tree's roots spread deep beneath the soil.

2. 2
   noun

   The part of a tooth or hair that holds it in place under the surface.

   The dentist said the root of the tooth was infected.

3. 3
   noun

   The basic cause or origin of something.

   They tried to find the root of the problem.

4. 4
   verb

   To dig in the ground with the nose, as a pig does.

   The pigs were rooting in the mud for food.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

The noun root is an Old English word related to Latin radix and to Old English wort, a word preserved in plant names. The verb describing an animal turning up soil with its snout is a separate word and may ultimately be connected with Latin rodere “to gnaw.”

PIE word *wréh₂ds From Middle English rote, root, roote (“the underground part of a plant”), from late Old English rōt, from Old Norse rót (“root”), from Proto-Germanic *wrōts (“root”), from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds (“root”); Doublet of wort, radish, and radix. Cognate with Scots ruit, rute (“root”), Danish rod (“root”), Faroese and Icelandic rót (“root”), Norwegian and Swedish rot (“root”).

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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