# rooting

Pronunciation: say "ROOT-ing" /ˈɹuːtɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle of root. — present participle and gerund of root
   - Simple: Present participle of root. Use this form for an action happening now or as the name of the action.
   - _The pigs were rooting through the soft earth for acorns._
   - _She spent the morning rooting around the attic for old photographs._

## Noun

2. The process by which a plant forms or takes root.
   - Simple: The way a plant grows new roots into soil or water.
   - _Adequate warmth and moisture encourage rooting in tender cuttings._
   - _Rooting was slow this year because the greenhouse stayed too cool._
3. A network of roots, or a secure attachment and firm grounding in something.
   - Simple: A strong, settled connection that holds something firmly in place.
   - _The shrub's firm rooting kept it upright even in saturated soil._
   - _His sense of identity drew its rooting from years spent in the same town._
4. A method of producing a new plant by inducing part of an existing plant to form roots.
   - Simple: A way to grow a new plant by making part of an old plant form roots.
   - _Rooting lets a grower reproduce a prized plant without sowing any seed._
   - _He propagated the geranium by rooting, placing a trimmed shoot in moist compost._
5. A newborn's instinctive turning of the head toward a touch on the cheek to search for milk when hungry.
   - Simple: The way a baby turns its head and opens its mouth to look for milk.
   - _Rooting helps the infant locate the breast during the first feedings._
   - _The midwife watched for rooting as a sign the baby was ready to nurse._
6. A hole in the ground left where a pig has dug and pushed with its snout.
   - Simple: A hole in the ground made by a pig digging with its nose.
   - _Muddy rooting scarred the meadow after the boars passed through overnight._
   - _The farmer filled in the deep rooting before the cattle could stumble in it._

## Origin

From Middle English rotynge ("rooting"), equivalent to "root" plus the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/rooting (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).