root has definitions from the fields of botany,anatomy,mathematics,linguistics,zoology
1
[ noun ] (botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

Used in print

(Organic Gardening and Farming,...)

A light , porous mulch applied now keeps the roots cool and the soil soft during these early days of growth .

That encourages rooting , and the better developed the roots , the larger and more plentiful the flowers .

As_soon_as an experimental tug assures you that roots have taken_over , cut it off from the mother plant .

(A. N. Nagaraj and L. M. Black, "Localization of...)

Root and stem tumors from sweet_clover plants infected with WTV were quick-frozen in liquid_nitrogen , embedded in ice , and cut at 3 - 6 � m in a cryostat maintained at - 16 ` to - 20 ` .

Sections of sweet_clover stem and root tumors were treated with 1 : 10 solution of * * f for 30_minutes , washed in buffered saline for 15_minutes , stained with * * f for 30_minutes , and washed for 15_minutes in PBS .

2
[ verb ] take root and begin to grow

Examples

"this plant roots quickly"

Used in print

(The Dallas Morning News,...)

Design elements closely rooted to traditional forms but wearing a definite contemporary label keynote Drexel 's fall 1961 group , Composite .

Related terms

grow grow

3
[ noun ] (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed

Examples

"thematic vowels are part of the stem"

Used in print

(A.L. Kroeber, "Semantic Contribution of Lexicostatistic...)

Thomas also presents a simple equation for deriving an index of persistence , which weights not_only the number of stems ( ' roots ' ) per meaning , but their relative_frequency .

As to relative_frequencies of competing roots ( 7 - 1 vs. 4 - 4 , etc_. ) , Thomas with his ' weighting ' seems to be the first to have considered the significance this might have .

Related terms

form linguistics

4
[ noun ] the place where something begins, where it springs into being

Examples

"the Italian beginning of the Renaissance" "Jupiter was the origin of the radiation" "Pittsburgh is the source of the Ohio River" "communism's Russian root"

Used in print

(Harold Rosenberg, "The Trial and Eichmann"...)

These questions touch the root of confusion in the prosecution 's case .

(R. F. Shaw, "The `Private Eye`"...)

Now , although the roots of the mystery_story in serious literature go_back as far as Balzac , Dickens , and Poe , it was not until the closing decades of the 19_th century that the private_detective became an established figure in popular fiction .

5
[ noun ] (mathematics) a number that when multiplied by itself some number of times equals a given number

Used in print

(Kenneth Hoffman and Ray Kunze, Linear Al...)

Such an operator is obviously the zero operator ; for since it is nilpotent , the minimal polynomial for this operator is of the form * * f for some * * f ; but then since the operator is diagonalizable , the minimal polynomial cannot have a repeated root ; hence * * f and the minimal polynomial is simply x , which says the operator is 0 .

Related terms

number square_root cube_root

6
[ noun ] (mathematics) the set of values that give a true statement when substituted into an equation

Synonyms

solution

Used in print

(R. P. Jerrard, "Inscribed squares in plane curves"...)

The roots of this equation are just the ordinates of the intersections of the graph of b with a straight_line of unit slope through **f in the b-plane ( the plane of the graph of b ) .

Related terms

set

7
[ verb ] become settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style

Examples

"He finally settled down"

Related terms

stabilize roost

8
[ verb ] dig with the snout

Synonyms

rootle rout

Examples

"the pig was rooting for truffles"

Related terms

dig

9
[ verb ] cause to take roots

Related terms

grow

10
[ adjective ] arising from or going to the root

Synonyms

radical

Examples

"a radical flaw in the plan"

Related terms

basic

11
[ verb ] take sides with; align oneself with; show strong sympathy for

Synonyms

side pull

Examples

"We all rooted for the home team" "I'm pulling for the underdog" "Are you siding with the defender of the title?"

Related terms

back side

12
[ verb ] come into existence, originate

Examples

"The problem roots in her depression"

Related terms

become beginning

13
[ noun ] someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote that a grandparent)
14
[ noun ] (linguistics) a simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes

Synonyms

etymon

Related terms

form

15
[ verb ] plant by the roots

Related terms

plant

16
[ noun ] Last name, frequency rank in the U.S. is 1834
17
[ noun ] (anatomy,zoology) the part of a tooth that is embedded in the jaw and serves as support

Synonyms

tooth_root

Related terms

structure tooth cementum

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