root

ROOT/ɹuːt/

Pluralroots

Verbroots, rooting, rooted

31 meanings of root

Practice

1
plant partnouncountable or uncountable
The part of a plant, usually under the ground, that holds it in place and takes in water and minerals.
Like a tent peg that holds a tent firmly to the ground.
The carrot's long root pushed deep into the soil.
Pull the weed up by its root so it cannot grow back.
2
originnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
The main place or cause that something first comes from.
Like the small spring where a big river first begins.
Greed was the root of all their trouble.
Doctors searched for the root of her illness.
UsageSay at the root of a problem, meaning its real cause.
Similarsource, origin, basis
Note
3
verbtransitive
To fix something firmly in place so that it stays.
Like pushing a fence post deep so the wind cannot move it.
Fear rooted him to the spot.
Regular practice helps root new skills firmly in your memory.
UsageOften said as rooted in something or deeply rooted.
Similaranchor, ground, embed, establish, entrench
Oppositeuproot
Note
4
nouncountable
The family, culture or place a person comes from, and the strong link they feel to it.
She moved back to Ohio to be close to her roots.
My grandfather loves to talk about our Irish roots.
UsageSay my roots for where your family comes from. Put down roots means settle in a new place.
Similarorigins, background, heritage
5
cheer forverbUSintransitive
To cheer for someone and hope they win or do well.
Like clapping and shouting to help your friend win the game.
We always root for the home team on game day.
She was rooting for her little brother in the race.
UsageSay root for a team. In Australia, say barrack for, because root is rude there.
Similarbarrack
Note
6
nouncountable
The part of a tooth, hair or nail hidden inside the body, or where a body part joins the body.
A sore spot at the root of the tongue can make it hard to swallow.
The infection spread to the root of her fingernail.
Similarbase
Note
7
vegetablenouncountable or uncountable
A vegetable that grows under the ground, such as a carrot or turnip.
We roasted a whole tray of roots for dinner.
This root tastes sweet once it is cooked.
UsageIn cooking, people usually say root vegetables.
Note
8
source wordnouncountable or uncountable
The main part of a word that carries its meaning and that other words are built from.
Like a parent word that has many child words.
The word 'video' comes from a Latin root.
Many medical terms share a Greek root.
Similarbase
Note
9
square (math)nouncountable or uncountable
A number that, multiplied by itself a set number of times, makes another number. Alone, it usually means square root.
Like asking which number, times itself, gives the one you started with.
The root of sixteen is four.
He punched the number into a calculator to find its root.
UsageRoot 2 means the square root of 2.
Note
10
verbintransitive
To grow roots and start growing in the ground, or to help a cutting do this.
Like a seed sending tiny threads down into the soil.
The cutting will root within a few weeks.
Some plants root easily in a glass of water.
UsageYou can also say a plant takes root.
Similartake, establish
11
wipe outverbtransitive
To get rid of something completely, as if pulling it out by the roots.
Like pulling weeds out so they cannot grow back again.
The town worked hard to root out crime for good.
They rooted out the old, unfair rules one by one.
UsageUsually used with out: root out a problem.
Similareradicate, eliminate, purge, remove, abolish
Note
12
top foldernouncountable or uncountable
The top folder on a computer that holds all the other folders and files.
Like the main folder that every other folder lives inside.
All the program files are stored in the root.
You'll find the main settings file in the root of the drive.
Note
13
admin accountnouncountable or uncountable
The special account on a UNIX computer that can control everything on it.
Like a master key that opens every door in a building.
You need to be root to delete these protected files.
The root account can change any setting on the machine.
UsageSay log in as root.
Similarsuperuser
Note
14
unlock devicesverbslangtransitive
To unlock full control of a phone or computer by getting past its security.
Like getting a master key to your own phone.
She rooted her phone to remove the ads.
Some users root their devices for more control.
Similarjailbreak
Note
15
top nodenouncountable or uncountable
The top point of a tree-shaped diagram, which has nothing above it.
Like the trunk of a family tree that everything else branches out from.
A tree diagram always starts from one root at the top.
The root sits above everything else, with branches below.
Oppositeleaf
Note

Less common meanings

16
rummageverbintransitive
To search for something by pushing things around, as if digging.
Like digging through a messy drawer to find one small thing.
I root around in my bag for my keys every morning.
She was rooting through the drawer for a pen.
UsageSay root around or root through something when you search messily.
Similarrummage
Note
17
natural hair colornouncountable or uncountable
The part of dyed hair near the head where the natural color grows back in.
Her dark roots were showing again after a month.
Her blond hair looked great, except for an inch of dark root.
UsagePeople say your roots are showing when your real hair color grows back.
18
solutionnouncountable or uncountable
A number that makes an equation true when put in place of the unknown, or makes a function zero.
Like the number that makes a puzzle balance out to nothing.
The equation x + 4 = 10 has just one root: 6.
Some equations have more than one root.
Similarzero
Oppositepole
Note
19
dig (snout)verbtransitive or intransitive
To dig in the ground using the nose, like a pig does.
Like using your nose as a shovel to dig in the ground.
Pigs root in the dirt to find food.
The hog was rooting under the fence all afternoon.
UsageOften used with in, up, or for: pigs root in the ground for food.
Similardig, grub, forage
Note
20
chord notenouncountable or uncountable
The main note that a chord is built on.
Like the bottom block of a tower that everything else stacks on top of.
The root of this chord is the note G.
A chord is named after its root.
Similarfundamental
Note
21
seek milkverbintransitive
When a baby turns its head and opens its mouth to look for milk.
Like a baby bird turning its open mouth toward its parent.
Babies root when they are hungry and want milk.
The newborn started rooting against his father's arm.
Note
22
lowest partnouncountable or uncountable
The lowest part, place, or position of something.
deep to the roots of hell
1667, John Milton, Paradise LostHere, roots means the deepest, lowest part of hell.
the roots of the mountains
1812, Robert Southey, OmnianaHere, roots means the lowest part or base of the mountains.
Similarbase, bottom, foot
Oppositetop
Note
23
penis basenounslangcountable or uncountable
A rude word for the penis, especially its base.
Note
24
have sex withverbslangvulgarAustraliaIrelandNew Zealandtransitive
To penetrate someone sexually.
She said she wouldn't root him for anything.
He boasted about everyone he'd rooted.
Similarscrew, bang, penetrate, shag, mount
Note
25
a sex sessionnounslangvulgarAustraliaNew Zealandcountable
An act of having sex.
They went home early for a root.
She said she just wanted a quick root.
Similarsex, intercourse, copulation, screw, mating
Note
26
sex partnernounslangvulgarAustraliaNew Zealandcountable
Someone you have sex with.
She told her friends her ex was a selfish root.
She called him a good root.
Similarscrew
Note
27
noun
The part of a wing closest to the body of the plane.
28
noun
The bottom of the groove in the threads of a screw or bolt.
29
verb
To try to get ahead by flattering important people.
30
verb
Of a horse, to pull at the reins by pushing its head down.
31
noun
A search through a pile of things.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of root apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–4, 6–10, 12–15, 17–18, 20, 22–23

It comes from an old word meaning the underground part of a plant. This came into English from Old Norse rót, going back to older Germanic and Indo-European roots.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Root derives from an older word meaning the underground part of a plant. en.wiktionary.org
The word entered English from Old Norse rót. iecor.clld.org
The word's ancestry extends through older Germanic and Indo-European forms. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 11, 16, 19, 21, 24–26

It comes from an old English word meaning to dig with the snout, like a pig does.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Root derives from an earlier English word meaning to dig with the snout. en.wiktionary.org
Pigs dig with their snouts. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 5

It may come from the word rout, which means to make a loud noise. The word hoot may have helped change it.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Root may come from rout. en.wiktionary.org
Rout means to make a loud noise. en.wiktionary.org
Hoot may have influenced the change from rout to root. en.wiktionary.org