root Hear it!

root¹ Definition

root (ro̵̅o̅t, ro̵ot)

noun

  1. the part of a plant, usually below the ground, that lacks nodes, shoots, and leaves, holds the plant in position, draws water and nourishment from the soil, and stores food
  2. loosely any underground part of a plant, as a rhizome
  3. the attached or embedded part of a bodily structure, as of the teeth, hair, nails, or tongue
  4. the source, origin, or cause of an action, quality, condition, etc.
  5. a person or family that has many descendants; ancestor
  6. the close ties one has with some place or people as through birth, upbringing, long and sympathetic association, etc.
  7. a lower or supporting part; base
  8. an essential or basic part; core the root of the matter
  9. Math.
    1. a quantity that, multiplied by itself a specified number of times, produces a given quantity 4 is the square root (4 × 4) of 16 and the cube root (4 × 4 × 4) of 64
    2. a number that, when substituted for the unknown quantity in an equation, will satisfy the equation
  10. Music the basic tone of a chord, on which the chord is constructed; often, the fundamental
  11. Linguis. the fundamental element of a word or form, exclusive of all affixes and inflectional phonetic changes

Etymology: ME rote < Late OE < ON rot, akin to OE wyrt, Ger wurzel < IE base *wrād-, twig, root > Gr rhiza, L radix, root, ramus, branch

intransitive verb

  1. to begin to grow by putting out roots
  2. to become fixed, settled, etc.

transitive verb

  1. to fix the roots of in the ground
  2. to establish; settle

root¹ Idioms

root up

or root out or root away

to pull out by the roots; remove or destroy completely

take root

  1. to begin growing by putting out roots
  2. to become settled or established
root² Definition

root (ro̵̅o̅t; for vt. & vi. 1-3, also, ro̵ot)

transitive verb

to dig or turn (up or out) with or as with the snout

Etymology: formerly also wrote, rout < ME wroten < OE wrotan, to root up < wrot, snout < IE base *wer-, to tear up > L rostrum, beak

intransitive verb

  1. to dig in the ground, as with the snout
  2. to search about; rummage to root through the litter
  3. Informal to work hard; drudge to root for a living
  4. ☆ Informal: usually with for
    1. to encourage a contestant or team by applauding and cheering
    2. to lend moral support to one seeking success, recovery, etc.

root² Related Forms
root′er noun
Root Definition

Root (ro̵̅o̅t)

Root, Elihu 1845-1937; U.S. statesman: secretary of state (1905-09)

root Synonyms

root

n.

  1. An underground portion of a plant

    radix, rootlet, root hair, tuber, taproot, radicle, rhizome, rootstock; see also bulb.

    Types of roots include: conical, napiform, fusiform, fibrous, moniliform, nodulose, tuberous, adventitious, prop, aerial, tap; rhizome, radix, tuber, bulb, taproot.

  2. The cause or basis

    source, reason, motive, heart; see origin 2, 3. See syn. study at origin.

take root

begin growing, start, become established; see begin 2, grow 1.

Root Hacker Definition
In UNIX, it is the superuser or administrator account having complete control over everything in the machine.

See Also: Administrator; Superuser or Administrative Privileges.

Graham, R. Hacking Lexicon. [Online, 2001.] Robert Graham Website. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/resource_files/documentation/hacking-dict.html.
root Telecom Definition
  1. In a hierarchically organized structure of entities, the main level from which all other levels branch out. Such a structure can take the form of a root with multiple branches, each of which may have multiple leaves.
  2. In a hierarchical network tree topology, the central bus from which all other busses branch out. See also bus topology and tree topology.
  3. In a hierarchically structured database, a record at the first level, from which all other records branch out. Such a structure is known as a tree.
root Usage Examples

Object

  • citta: After a single moment of seeing we enjoy what we have seen and then akusala citta rooted in attachment arises seven times.

Converse of object

  • tackle: We'd use innovative ways to tackle the root causes of the problem, rather than just the symptoms.
  • tap: AOL software had a tap root deeper than a dandelion.

Adjective modifier

  • square: I'll have the square root of 2, then, please.
  • deep: The task posed, therefore, is the building of a mass WRP with deep roots in the unions.
  • fleshy: Herbaceous plant with perennial thick, white, fleshy root and purple colored stem.

Modifies a noun

  • filesystem: You should then be able to attempt mounting your root filesystem.
  • rot: Also note that peas do suffer from root rots, especially in overly wet or poorly drained soils.
  • node: We would begin at the root node, and then begin sequentially scanning the keys stored within.
  • directory: Pressing RETURN leaves the prefix set to the root directory of the boot device.
  • canal: Samples were then taken from the root canals to determine the numbers of remaining bacteria.
  • vegetable: Place the bacon in boiling water and with it the root vegetables, cut up small.

Noun used with modifier

  • grass: Find out what the grass roots activists get up to here.
  • nerve: This was causing pressure on the nerve root causing loss of myelin sheath.
  • ginger: Ginger - fresh cut ginger root blended with lemon.
  • dandelion: Dandelion root tincture lowers blood pressure and keeps your heart and cardiovascular system healthy and happy.
  • cube: To him we owe the symbols for and, a 2 and a 3, and the cube root sign.
  • echinacea: Contains: Echinacea root, oregano leaf, thyme leaf, chamomile flower and cayenne pod.

Preposition: of

  • evil: D id Edward arrive in Nazi Germany as it was a root of evil inspired by the door?
  • polynomial: Justification: lemma bounding the number of roots of a polynomial of degree d in n variables.
root Quotes

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote.

—Chaucer, Geoffrey

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; Daniel and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the L of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.But untoyou that fear my nameshall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

—Bible (Old Testament)

For the love of money is the root of all evil.

—Bible (NewTestament)

The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual.

—Smiles, Samuel

But ye should say,Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

—Bible (Old Testament)

I have crossed an ocean I have lost my tongue from the root of the old one a new one has sprung

—Nichols, Grace

It is a question of building which is at the root of the social unrest of today: architecture or revolution.

—Le Corbusier pseudonym of  Charles EŁ  douard Jeanneret

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the L revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely hehath borne ourgriefs, and carried our sorrows.

—Bible (Old Testament)