root | |
1. n. The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction. | |
This tree's roots can go as deep as twenty metres underground. | |
2. n. A root vegetable. | |
3. n. The part of a tooth extending into the bone holding the tooth in place. | |
Root damage is a common problem of overbrushing. | |
4. n. The part of a hair under the skin that holds the hair in place. | |
The root is the only part of the hair that is alive. | |
5. n. The part of a hair near the skin that has not been dyed, permed, or otherwise treated. | |
He dyed his hair black last month, so the grey roots can be seen. | |
6. n. The primary source; origin. | |
The love of money is the root of all evil. | |
7. n. (arithmetic) Of a number or expression, a number which, when raised to a specified power, yields the specified number or expression. | |
The cube root of 27 is 3. | |
8. n. (arithmetic) A square root (understood if no power is specified; in which case, “the root of” is often abbreviated to “root”). | |
Multiply by root 2. | |
9. n. (analysis) A zero (of an equation). | |
10. n. (graph theory, computing) The single node of a tree that has no parent. | |
11. n. (linguistic morphology) The primary lexical unit of a word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents. Inflectional stems often der | |
12. n. (philology) A word from which another word or words are derived. | |
13. n. (music) The fundamental tone of any chord; the tone from whose harmonics, or overtones, a chord is composed. | |
14. n. The lowest place, position, or part. | |
15. n. (computing) In UNIX terminology, the first user account with complete access to the operating system and its configuration, found at the root of the directory structure; the person who manages account | |
I have to log in as root before I do that. | |
16. n. (computing) The highest directory of a directory structure which may contain both files and subdirectories. | |
I installed the files in the root directory. | |
17. n. (slang) A penis, especially the base of a penis. | |
18. v. To fix the root; to enter the earth, as roots; to take root and begin to grow. | |
19. v. To be firmly fixed; to be established. | |
20. v. (computing, slang) To break into a computer system and obtain root access. | |
We rooted his box and planted a virus on it. | |
21. v. To turn up or dig with the snout. | |
A pig roots the earth for truffles. | |
22. v. (by extension) To seek favour or advancement by low arts or grovelling servility; to fawn. | |
23. v. (intransitive) To rummage; to search as if by digging in soil. | |
rooting about in a junk-filled drawer | |
24. v. To root out; to abolish. | |
25. v. (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, vulgar, slang) To have sexual intercourse. | |
26. v. (horticulture, intransitive) To grow roots | |
The cuttings are starting to root. | |
27. v. (horticulture, transitive) To prepare, oversee, or otherwise cause the rooting of cuttings | |
We rooted some cuttings last summer. | |
28. n. (Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) An act of sexual intercourse. | |
Fancy a root? | |
29. n. (Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) A sexual partner. | |
30. v. (intransitive, with "for" or "on", US) To cheer (on); to show support (for) and hope for the success of. (See root for.) | |
I'm rooting for you, don't let me down! | |