(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

the place where something begins, where it springs into being; the Italian beginning of the Renaissance; Jupiter was the origin of the radiation; Pittsburgh is the source of the Ohio River; communisms Russian root

[ Syn: beginning , origin , rootage , source ]

(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; thematic vowels are part of the stem

[ Syn: root word , base , stem , theme , radical ]

a number that, when multiplied by itself some number of times, equals a given number

the set of values that give a true statement when substituted into an equation

[ Syn: solution ]

someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

[ Syn: ancestor , ascendant , ascendent , antecedent ]

a simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes

[ Syn: etymon ]

the part of a tooth that is embedded in the jaw and serves as support

[ Syn: tooth root ]

take root and begin to grow; this plant roots quickly'

come into existence, originate; The problem roots in her depression'

plant by the roots

dig with the snout; the pig was rooting for truffles

[ Syn: rout , rootle ]

become settled or established and stable in ones residence or life style; He finally settled down

[ Syn: settle , take root , steady down , settle down ]

cause to take roots