root

1. (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 (synset 113145876)
   referred to in: botany, phytology - the branch of biology that studies plants
   is a type of: plant organ - a functional and structural unit of a plant or fungus
   subtypes:

   • calamus - the aromatic root of the sweet flag used medicinally
   • cocoyam, dasheen, eddo, taro - edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants
   • ginseng - aromatic root of ginseng plants
   • horseradish, horseradish root - the root of the horseradish plant; it is grated or ground and used for seasoning
   • radish - pungent edible root of any of various cultivated radish plants
   • chicory, chicory root - the dried root of the chicory plant: used as a coffee substitute
   • oyster plant, salsify - edible root of the salsify plant
   • hottentot bread, hottentot's bread - thick edible rootstock of elephant's-foot
   • briarroot - hard woody root of the briar Erica arborea
   • orris, orrisroot - fragrant rootstock of various irises especially Florentine iris; used in perfumes and medicines
   • sarsaparilla root - dried root of any of various plants of the genus Smilax used as a flavoring agent
   • licorice root - root of licorice used in flavoring e.g. candy and liqueurs and medicines
   • senega - dried root of two plants of the genus Polygala containing an irritating saponin
   • mandrake, mandrake root - the root of the mandrake plant; used medicinally or as a narcotic
   • cassava, manioc - cassava root eaten as a staple food after drying and leaching; source of tapioca
   • carrot - deep orange edible root of the cultivated carrot plant
   • parsnip - the whitish root of cultivated parsnip
   • pneumatophore - an air-filled root (submerged or exposed) that can function as a respiratory organ of a marsh or swamp plant
   • taproot - (botany) main root of a plant growing straight downward from the stem
   • adventitious root - root growing in an unusual location e.g. from a stem
   • rootlet - small root or division of a root
   • prop root - a root that grows from and supports the stem above the ground in plants such as mangroves
   has:

   • root cap - thimble-shaped mass of cells covering and protecting the growing tip of a root
   • root hair - thin hairlike outgrowth of an epidermal cell just behind the tip; absorbs nutrients from the soil
   • bark - tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants
   is a part of: root system, rootage - a developed system of roots
   substance holonym: parenchyma - the primary tissue of higher plants composed of thin-walled cells that remain capable of cell division even when mature; constitutes the greater part of leaves, roots, the pulp of fruits, and the pith of stems
2. The place where something begins, where it springs into being (synset 108524579)
   "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"
   is a type of: point - the precise location of something; a spatially limited location
   subtypes:

   • derivation - the source or origin from which something derives (i.e. comes or issues)
   • spring - a point at which water issues forth
   • fountainhead, head, headspring - the source of water from which a stream arises
   • headwater - the source of a river
   • wellhead, wellspring - the source of water for a well
   • jumping-off place, point of departure - a place from which an enterprise or expedition is launched
   • birthplace, cradle, place of origin, provenance, provenience - where something originated or was nurtured in its early existence
   • home - place where something began and flourished
   • point source - a concentrated source (especially of radiation or pollution) that is spatially constricted
   • trail head, trailhead - the beginning of a trail
   same as: beginning, origin, rootage, source
3. (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed (synset 106311183)
   "thematic vowels are part of the stem"
   referred to in: linguistics - the scientific study of language
   is a type of: descriptor, form, signifier, word form - the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
   same as: base, radical, root word, stem, theme
4. A number that, when multiplied by itself some number of times, equals a given number (synset 113753809)
   is a type of: number - a concept of quantity involving zero and units
   subtypes:

   • square root - a number that when multiplied by itself equals a given number
   • cube root - a number that when multiplied three times equals a given number
5. The set of values that give a true statement when substituted into an equation (synset 108022396)
   is a type of: set - (mathematics) an abstract collection of numbers or symbols
   same as: solution
6. Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent) (synset 109811996)
   is a type of: relation, relative - a person related by blood or marriage
   subtypes:

   • ancestress - a woman ancestor
   • forbear, forebear - a person from whom you are descended
   • father, forefather, sire - the founder of a family
   • foremother - a woman ancestor
   • primogenitor, progenitor - an ancestor in the direct line
   same as: ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, ascendent
7. A simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes (synset 106311435)
   is a type of: descriptor, form, signifier, word form - the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
   same as: etymon
8. The embedded part of a bodily structure such as a tooth, nail, or hair (synset 105315809)
   is a type of: anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure - a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing and its construction and arrangement
   has: cement, cementum - a specialized bony substance covering the root of a tooth
   is a part of:

   • hair - a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
   • tooth - hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates; used for biting and chewing or for attack and defense
   • nail - horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits

1. Take root and begin to grow (synset 200358789)
   "this plant roots quickly"
   is a type of: grow - become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain
   verb group: root - cause to take roots
2. Come into existence, originate (synset 202629812)
   "The problem roots in her depression"
   is a type of: become - come into existence
3. Cheer for (synset 202562263)
   "She roots for the Broncos"
   is a type of: back up, support - give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to
4. Plant by the roots (synset 201531982)
   is a type of: plant, set - put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
5. Dig with the snout (synset 201285016)
   "the pig was rooting for truffles"
   is a type of: cut into, delve, dig, turn over - turn up, loosen, or remove earth
   same as: rootle, rout
6. Become settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style (synset 200416323)
   "He finally settled down"
   is a type of: stabilise, stabilize - become stable or more stable
   subtypes: roost - settle down or stay, as if on a roost
   same as: settle, settle down, steady down, take root
7. Cause to take roots (synset 200358968)
   is a type of: grow - cause to grow or develop
   verb group: root - take root and begin to grow

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