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Synonyms & Similar Words
Meaning of Root
The primary meaning of the word "Root" refers to the underground part of a plant, or a person's ancestral or cultural origin.
Definitions
- The underground part of a plant, functioning to absorb water and nutrients from the soil
- A person's ancestral or cultural origin
- A source or origin of something
- A mathematical operation used to find a value that, when multiplied by itself a certain number of times, gives a specified value
Etymology of Root
The word "Root" originates from Old English "rōt", which is also related to Old Norse "rót", and Gothic "waurts", all of which are derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "wrād-", meaning "to grow" or "to sprout"
The word has been used in English since the 9th century to refer to the underground part of a plant, and its meaning has expanded over time to include other senses, such as ancestral or cultural origin
Example Uses
- The tree's roots stretched deep into the earth, anchoring it firmly in place
- Her roots in the community ran deep, having lived there all her life
- The problem has its roots in a combination of factors, including economic and social issues
- The mathematician used the square root operation to solve the equation