roots
|root|
/ruːts/
(root)
foundation or origin
Etymology
'root' originates from Old English 'rōt' (also spelled 'rūt'), from Proto-Germanic '*wrot-' or '*wrōt-', where the root originally meant 'root (of a plant)'.
'root' changed from Old English 'rōt' to Middle English forms such as 'rot'/'root' and eventually became the modern English word 'root'. Cognates appear in other Germanic languages (e.g., Old Norse 'rót').
Initially, it meant 'the underground part of a plant'; over time it expanded metaphorically to mean 'origin' or 'source' and then specialized senses in mathematics and computing (and later informal senses like 'to cheer' in American English).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the underground parts of a plant that absorb water and nutrients and anchor the plant in the soil.
The tree's roots reached several meters underground.
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Noun 2
the origin, source, or basis of something (often used metaphorically).
Social tensions have their roots in economic inequality.
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Noun 3
a fundamental cause or core issue (often used in phrases like 'the root of the problem').
We need to address the roots of the conflict, not just the symptoms.
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Noun 4
in mathematics, a number that, when used in a specified operation (usually exponentiation), yields a given value (e.g., square root, nth roots).
The equation has two real roots.
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Noun 5
in computing, the highest-level directory in a filesystem or the superuser account with full system privileges (the 'root').
Make sure you don't run that script while logged in as root; check the permissions of the / (root) directory.
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Verb 1
to cause to take hold in the ground (to set or fix firmly); to establish deeply (often 'take root' or 'be rooted').
New habits became roots in his daily routine.
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Verb 2
to search or rummage around (often 'root around' or 'root through').
The dog roots in the garden for bones.
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Last updated: 2025/12/06 21:49