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1. (botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds, leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
    
2. The place where something begins, where it springs into being
   "communism's Russian root";
   - beginning, origin, rootage, source
    
3. (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
   "thematic vowels are part of the root";
   - root word, base, stem, theme, radical
    
4. A number that, when multiplied by itself some number of times, equals a given number
    
5. The set of values that give a true statement when substituted into an equation
   - solution
    
6. Someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
   - ancestor, ascendant, ascendent, antecedent
    
7. A simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes
   - etymon
    
8. The embedded part of a bodily structure such as a tooth, nail, or hair
    
9. [Austral, NZ, vulgar] Slang for sexual intercourse
   - rumpy-pumpy [informal]
    
10. (computing) the highest directory of a directory structure

1. Take root and begin to grow
   "this plant roots quickly"
    
2. Come into existence, originate
   "The problem roots in her depression"
    
3. Cheer for
   "She roots for the Broncos"
    
4. Plant by the roots
    
5. Dig with the snout
   "the pig was rooting for truffles";
   - rout, rootle
    
6. Become settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style
   "He finally rooted down";
   - settle, take root, steady down, settle down
    
7. Cause to take roots
    
8. [Austral, NZ, vulgar] Have sexual intercourse
   - sleep together, love, make love, sleep with, have sex, know [archaic], do it [informal], be intimate, have intercourse, lie with [archaic], bed [informal], get it on [informal]

Sounds like: roomy, roomie, r, root

Derived forms: rooting, roots, rooted

Type of: anatomical structure, back up, become, bodily structure, body structure, carnal knowledge, coition, coitus, complex body part, copulate, copulation, couple, cut into, delve [archaic], descriptor, dig, flesh and blood, form, grow, intercourse, mate, number, pair, plant, plant organ, point, relation, relative, set, sex act, sexual congress, sexual intercourse, sexual relation, signifier, stabilise [Brit], stabilize, structure, support, turn over, word form

Antonym: descendant

Part of: chopper [informal], hair, nail, pearly [informal], root system, rootage, tooth

Encyclopedia: Root, New York