Meaning of root In English

• 0 the part of a plant that grows down into the earth to get water and food and holds the plant firm in the ground

• 1 the cause or origin of something bad:

  • We must get to the root of (= discover the cause of) this problem.

  • What is/lies at the root of the problem is their lack of interest.

  • The high crime rate has its roots in unemployment and poverty.

  • So what's the root cause of his anxiety?

  • The city of Tours can trace its roots back to Roman times.

• 2 the part of a hair, tooth, or nail that is under the skin

• 3 The root of a word is its most basic form, to which other parts, such as affixes, can be added:

  • The root of the word "sitting" is "sit".

• 4 a solution of some equations (= mathematical statements)

  • The square root of 64 is 8, and the cube root of 64 is 4.

• 5 to look for something by turning things over:

  • She rooted through/among the papers on her desk.

  • The pigs rooted for acorns in the forest.

• 6 to grow roots:

  • The trees failed to root and so died.

• 7 the part of a plant which grows down into the earth

• 8 the origin or source of something:

  • We must get to the root of this problem.

• 9 the basic form of a word, to which prefixes or endings can be added:

  • The root of the word "sitting" is "sit."

• 10 a number that is the solution of an equation (= mathematical statement)

• 11 (of a plant) to develop roots and begin to grow