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.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.