noun
    
    plural roots
    
    [count] :the part of a plant that grows underground, gets water from the ground, and holds the plant in place
    
    
    
    
    
    see color picture
    
    [count] :the part of a tooth, hair, fingernail, etc., that is attached to the body
    
    
    
    [count] the cause or source of something - usually singular
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    the origin of something - usually plural
    
    
    
    roots [plural]
    
    the family history of a person or a group of people
    
    
    
    a special connection to something - + in
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    [count] mathematics :a number that is multiplied by itself a certain number of times to produce another number
    
    
    
    [count] :a word from which other words are formed
    
    
    
    
    
    put down roots
    
    to become a member of a community and begin to feel that it is your home :to settle and live in one place
    
    
    
    root and branch
    
    chiefly Brit
    
    complete or thorough
    
    
    
    completely or thoroughly
    
    
    
    take root
    
    of a plant :to grow and develop roots
    
    
    
    to begin to develop
    
    
    
    
    
    verb
    
    roots; rooted; rooting
    
    of a plant
    
    [no obj] :to grow and develop roots
    
    
    
    [+ obj] :to make (a plant) grow and develop roots
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    [+ obj] :to make (someone) unable to move
    
    
    
    usually used as (be) rooted
    
    
    
    root in
    
    [phrasal verb]
    
    root (something) in (something) :to form, make, or develop (something) by using (something) as a basis
    
    
    
    usually used as (be) rooted in
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    verb
    
    roots; rooted; rooting
    
    [no obj]
    
    always followed by an adverb or preposition :to search for something by moving around or by turning things over
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    of animals :to look for food under the ground by digging with the nose :grub
    
    
    
    root out
    
    [phrasal verb]
    
    root (something or someone) out or root out (something or someone)
    
    to find and remove (something or someone)
    
    
    
    to find (something or someone) after searching for a long time
    
    
    
    verb
    
    roots; rooted; rooting
    
    compare 2root 3root
    
    root for
    
    [phrasal verb]
    
    root for (someone or something) :to express or show support for (a person, a team, etc.)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    root on
    
    [phrasal verb]
    
    root (someone or something) on US :to help (someone or something) to win or succeed by expressing or showing strong support