noun

root

rwt

noun

The underground part of a plant that anchors it and draws in water and nutrients.

"The tree's roots had cracked the pavement over the years."

"Water the plant at the roots, not the leaves."

The origin, source, or underlying cause of something.

"Poor communication was the root of the whole misunderstanding."

"Investigators tried to find the root of the problem before it spread further."

In mathematics, a value which, raised to a given power, produces a specified number (most commonly the square root).

"The square root of 81 is 9."

"She solved for the roots of the quadratic equation."

verb

To become firmly fixed or established.

"The habit had rooted itself deeply before anyone noticed."

"Cuttings need a few weeks in water before they root."

To cheer for or support someone, hoping for their success. (usually "root for")

"The whole office was rooting for her to get the promotion."

"We'll be rooting for the home team on Saturday."

How to Use Root

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe base or source of something — literally a plant's underground anchor, or figuratively the true cause behind a problem.

Common mistake

"Root for" (to support) is often confused with "route for," which is unrelated and refers to a path or course.

Easily confused with

route →

Common pairings

take root root cause root for a team put down roots

Word Forms

rooted past tense, rooted past tense, rooted past tense, roots plural, roots plural, roots singular, roots singular, roots singular

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The tree's _____ had cracked the pavement over the years.

Etymology

From Old Norse rót, going back to a Proto-Germanic word for "root" that is also the ancestor of "wort" and a distant relative of Latin radix (source of "radish" and "radical").

Rhymes for root

oot foot boot moot loot coot hoot toot soot doot zoot shoot

See all rhymes for root →