noun The underground part of a plant that anchors it and draws in water and nutrients.
- The tree's roots had cracked the pavement over the years.
- Water the plant at the roots, not the leaves.
- Carrots and parsnips are vegetables whose edible part is the root.
noun The origin, source, or underlying cause of something.
- Poor communication was the root of the whole misunderstanding.
- Investigators tried to find the root of the problem before it spread further.
- Jealousy is often at the root of arguments between close friends.
noun In mathematics, a value which, raised to a given power, produces a specified number (most commonly the square root).
- The square root of 81 is 9.
- She solved for the roots of the quadratic equation.
- The teacher asked us to find the cube root of twenty-seven.
verb To become firmly fixed or established.
- Fear of failure had rooted in her mind since she was a child.
- The habit had rooted itself deeply before anyone noticed.
- Cuttings need a few weeks in water before they root.
verb To cheer for or support someone, hoping for their success. (usually "root for")
- The whole office was rooting for her to get the promotion.
- We'll be rooting for the home team on Saturday.
- I always root for the underdog when I watch a match on television.
