root 
regular form of roots except so far as they are thickened 
for strength as holdfasts or by the accumulation of nutri- 
ment.-Horizontal root, in hot, a root that lies hori- 
zontally on the ground.-iatent roots of a matrix, in 
math. See latent. Lateral root of the auditory nerve, 
therootwhichpasscsontheoutersideof thereatiform tract. 
Also called sKper/fcirt?, i'/i?n'or, or posterior root ; alsosome- 
times radix cochlea.- Limit of the roots. See !>(. 
Mechoacan root, a jalap.tuber of very feeble proper- 
ties, obtained from Mexico, apparently identical with the 
Ipomsea Jalapa (I. macrorhiza) found in the southern 
United States from South Carolina to Florida. Medial 
root of the auditory nerve, the root which passes on 
the inner side of the restiform tract, between the latter 
and the ascending root of the trigeminus. Also called 
deep, anterior or upper root; sometimes radix vesUbularis. 
-Musquash-root. Same as beaver-poison Primary 
root. geS^rtSwE and def. 1, above. -Primitive root, 
a root of an equation or congruence which satisfies no 
8EMRFJ co^utnce *l = Hmod 10) Sfoi 
a h p U rL 9 i ! tiv a e r0 roo?f f 1"^ aaSsflfa ^= lW ^ 
For primitive root in various specific phrases, see prim- 
five. -Quadratocubic root, quadratoquadratic root. 
See the adjectives. Root and branch, (a) As a whole; 
wholly ; completely. 
He was going and leaving his malison on us, root and 
oranch. I was never so^ecursed in all my days 
aae ' C1 rtn> X1VI1L 
(6) In Eng. hist., the extremists of the Parliamentary party 
who about 1641 favored the overthrow of Episcopacy; 
also, the policy of these extremists. Root of a hair, 
the portion contained in the follicle, the lower portion 
being the bulb. Root of a lung, the place where the 
Er that eight dais were ended fully, 
Al the wodys were rated up and gon. 
Rom. of PartenajCE. E. T. SA 1. 1112. 
I in , 
The noisome weeds SAfflj- iph if Hi 4 v? 
~ W *;' "' **" " L 4 " "' 
He s a rank weed, Sir Thomas, 
And we must root him out. 
Shak., Hen. VIII., v. I. 63. 
JJ. intrans. 1 . To turn up the earth with the 
snout ag gwine _ 
Al swa that wilde swin 
That wroteth seond than grouen. 
Layamon, 1. 469. 
DOO beestes smale in hit [earth] to atere and stonde, 
And make hem route aboute and trede 
PaUadim Husbondrie E E T S XD 158 
' 
rtS 
bitterness. See bitterness. Root of the mesentery, 
the junction of the mesentery with the body-wall. Root 
^ 0181 
ootsofanequatn,the tfh fldd 
of quantity into such parts that there shall be only one 
root at most in each part.-The root of the matter, 
that wh,ch is fundamental or essential. 
But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the 
roo of the matter is found in me? Job xix. 28. 
To extract the root 
to s't^rort 6 Taf 
or (more frequently) as a layer, cutting, or transplanted 
plant. (6) To become fixed ; become established. 
. If we shall stand still, 
In fear our motion will be raock'd or carp'd at, 
We should take root here where we sit 
Deep *. thy root,, ^ e ^"'^" 
Within our earthly sod. WAtter, Our Master, 
(See also bloodroot, bowman's-root. cancer-root, colic-root, 
mart-root, orris-root, rattlesnake-root, and imateroot.) 
root 1 (rot or rut), v. [= Sw. rota, take root; 
from the noun. Of. roo&.l I intrans 1 To 
fix' the root; strike root; enter the earth, as 
roots. 
In deep grounds the weeds root the deeper. 
Mortimer, Husbandry, 
2. To be firmly fixed; be established 
There rooted betwixt them then such an aff eetion which 
cannot choose but branch now Shak WT i 1 25 
If any error chanced ... to cause misapprehensions! 
he gave them not leave to root and fasten by concealment. 
Sp. Fell, 
II trans 1 To fix by the root or as if bv 
roots; plant and fix deep in the earth- as a 
tree roots itself a deeulv rooted tree 
J; J 
That root, itself in elslonTe?he wharf. 
Shak., Hamlet, i. 5. 33. 
2 To clant deenlv imnress dpe.nlv and riWn 
, le, 
long he may dyge and .wrote 
Or ne nave hvs J '! le ,, r ?' . , . , 
!61 - (UaUiwell.) 
Thou elvish-mark'd, abortive, noting hog ! 
Shak., Rich. III., i. 3. 228. 
2f. To push with the snout. 
Delphyn8 knowe by 8mel a dee(J man ^ ln ^ 
see ete euer of Delphyns kynde, and yf the deed hath ete 
therof he etyth hym anone, and yf he dyde not he kepyth 
and defendyth hym fro etynge and bytynge of other flsshe, 
and showyth hym and bryngyth him to the clyffe with his 
own wrotynge. 
GfrmCT7,DePropr.Rerum,Xni.xivi.460(Cath.Ang.,p.425). 
"?* 11 ^).*- Afonnofnrfi. Halliwell. [Prov. 
Eng.j 
root 4 (rot), v. A dialectal form of rot. 
rootagei W'tej or rtt 'w). C< rootl 
The a f ot ^P/ <*.-> the growth or fixture 
ot roots; the hold obtained by means of a root 
or roots. [Bare.] 
Ours ^ 8carcely lesg than ^ ^^ [goTernment]j a 
living and fecund system. It does not, indeed, find its 
rootage so widely in the hidden aoil of unwritten law ; ita 
tap-root at least is the Constitution. 
* **>*, Cong- GOT., i. 
rootage 2 (ro'taj or rut'aj), . [X rootf + -am ~\ 
Extirpation Halliwell 
root-alcohol (r6t'al"k6-'hol), . See alcohol, 1. 
' H A rnnt 
Canst thou not minister to a mind diaeaaed, 
Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow ? 
Shak., Macbeth, v. 3. 41. 
root 2 (rot or rut), v. [Also rout, early mod. E. 
wroot,wrout;<WE.roten,routen,piorj.wroten,< 
AS. MToteK, root or grub up, as a hog, = NFries 
irrfttfn Mn D ,/?rn*^ MT ^^ i r 
written root or SuMn thela vth OHP 'rJ' 
/n^ )f r H ' = ?. . 7 
jan ruozzan root up (ef . G. rOe, renten, rodcn, 
root out), = Icel. rota = Sw. Norw. rota = Dan. 
rode, root, grub up ; connected with the noun, 
AS. wrot = OFries. "wrote, snout, = OHa. dim. 
*ruozil, MHGr. riiezel, G. riissel, snout; perhaps 
allied to L. rodere, gnaw, nag, and to radere, 
scratch: see rodent, rase 1 , raze 1 . The verb is 
commonly associated with the noun root 1 as if 
root up or uproot meant 'pull up the roots of,' 
' ( pull up by the roots'; but it means rather 
'raise or plow up with the snout,' and is orig. 
applied to swine.] I. trans. 1. To dig or bur- 
row in with the snout ; turn up with the snout, 
as a swine. 
Alas, he [the boar] nought eateems that face of thine, . . . 
ild root these beauties as he roots the mead. 
_, . aJ-., Venus and Adonis, 1.636. 
^. lo tear up or out as if by rooting; eradicate; 
irpate; remove or destroy utterly; exter- 
unate: generally with up, out, or ninn/. 
root-er (rot'ber) . A drink containing the 
extracted juices Of various roots, as of dock, 
dandelion sarsannrilln and as<nf7-a 
aan( on ' sarsapanna, ana sassatras. 
No leas than five persons, during the forenoon, inquired 
for ginger-beer, or roofer or any drink of a simuarbrew- 
^ Hawthorne, Seven Gables, iii. 
root-borer (r6t'bor"er), n. An insect which 
perforates the roots of plants: as, the clover 
root-oorer, Hylesimts trifolii. 
root-bound (rot'bound), a. Fixed to the earth 
by roots; firmly fixed, as if by the root; im- 
movable ; 
And you a statue, or, as Daphne was, 
*>**"4 t fled Apolla 
... , ,...,, -, > 
root-breaker (rot bra"ker), n. A machine for 
br eaking potatoes, turnips, carrots, or other raw 
ro ts into small or moderate-sized pieces, in or- 
er prepare them as tood for cattle or horses, 
root-bruiser (rot'bro"zer), n. Same as root- 
JStZlH MMOW R'Hf 
root-DUUt (rot bilt), a. Built of roots. 
Philosophy requires 
No lavish cost; to crown its utmost prayer 
lh?1uicv^and a'f,d C t e he c^Kream **' 
lne Julcy vland ' ana tne er y*l st ream - 
Shenstone, Economy, L 
root-cap (rot'kap), n. A cap-like layer of par- 
enchymatous cells which occurs at the tip of 
growing roots. It may be several or many or only two 
fJ* r !f la * ers ' cella thick - the cells eomposing it being 
Wer - flrmer - and ln P art eflete . and serving to protect the 
aCt ' Ve rowll I > to '. which is i""diately behind it. 
At the ver y end of the rad ile they [the cells] are rela- 
lively large, and form a sort of cap-like covering (roof-rap) 
for the smaller cells lying directly back (the Vowing 
P Int )- Goodale, Phyaiol. Bot., p. 106. 
root-cellar (rot'sel"ar), n. A cellar or part of 
a cellar set apart for the storage of roots ortu- 
bers, as potatoes. Compare root-house, 2. 
root-crop (rot'krop), n. A crop of plants with 
esculent roots, especially of plants having sin- 
gle roots, as turnips, beets, or carrots. 
root-digger (rot'dig'er), n. In agri., a form of 
tongs with curved jaws for raising carrots and 
beets from the ground. 
root-eater (rot'e"ter), n. A rhizophagous mar- 
supial; a member of the Rhizophaga; any root- 
eating animal. 
root-eating (r6t'e"ting), a. Feeding habitually 
upon roots ; rbizophagous. 
rooted (ro'ted or rut'ed), a. [< root 1 + -erf 2 .] 
1. Fixed by a root or roots ; firmly planted or 
embedded. 2. In ;oiil. and anat.: (n) Fixed 
root-louse 
by the roots embedded and attached as if 
rooted as a Viaiv fpathpT- noil ni- rnnth f}<\ 
)te .^' " a 5 ' lea , tne '' naii > or 'OOttl. (6) 
Specifically, fixed so by the root as to cease to 
grow, as a tooth : the opposite of rootless. 3. 
Provided with roots. 
*AJI_ / -/* j i- ' *i/ j T\ 7 ry 
TOOtedly (ro ted-li or rut ed-li), adv. [< rooted 
+ -ly 2 .] Deeply; from the heart. 
They all do hate him 
As notedly aa I. Shak., Tempest, iii. 2. 103. 
. j , .... , . ., , \ 
rooteoness (ro ted-nes or rut ed-nes), n. [< 
rooted + -ness.'] The state or condition of be- 
\MS rooted 
rooter 1 fro'ter or rilt'er) n K root 1 + -er 1 1 
rooter no uei o ei;, a. L\ n i -r er .j 
A P lant ( or > *&*ti***f> some other thing, or 
a person) which takes root. 
They require dividing and Anting on freah aoil fre- 
quently, being strong rooter,. The Field, LXVII. 338. 
lOOter 2 (ro'ter or nit' er), n. [< rootf + -er 1 .] 
One who or that which roots Qr rootg Qr 
..,.,._,. .,_ hv t i. fi rnn t a . w v, n p,.nrH<>arps nr 
*j ea y* U P Dy t! 
T^ a^ge^cham^n of the Pagan goda, 
Maesinger, Virgin-Martyr i 1 
_-i-__ /-K/fi- : wt'A-\ i 
lOOtery (ro ter-1 or rut er-1), n., pi. rootenes 
(-iz). [\ root 1 + -ery.] A mound or pile formed 
w ith the roots of trees, in which plants are set 
as in a rockerv Imn Diet 
rootfast (rot'fast), S.' [< ME. rotfest (= leel. 
rotfastr) ; < root 1 + fast 1 .] Firmly rooted. 
root-fibril (r6t'fi // bril), n. One of the fine ulti- 
mate divisions of a root; a rootlet; less prop- 
erly, same as root-hair. 
root-footed (r6t ' fuf'ed), a. Provided with 
pseudopodia. See pseudopodium and rlrizopod. 
ro0 t-forceps (rot'for'seps), . In dentistry, a 
forceps for extracting roots of teeth 
rnot *__, tYot'forml ,, A form Bssumprl hv an 
rOOMprm (rot lorm;, n. A. rorm assumea Dy an 
"}sect when ndieioolons or living on roots, if 
d 616 " 4 fr( > m some oth . er form < t he same m- 
sect : thus, the grape-vine pest, P%i<O2:era I'as- 
<*', is most destructive in its rooi/orw 
Toot-grafting (rot grafting), . In hort., the 
Pr SS 8 8Ci nS dh ' eC . tl y n t 
' 
_ , "t'l~ A) fil 
root-hair (rot har), n. A delicate filament de- 
veloned from a sinrfe cell (thus distinguished 
I n P m fihrln nr, t^ p^frt p^ni.^f t 
trom a root-fibril) on the epidermis of the 
young parts of a root; a unicellular tnchome 
shrivel and disappear. See cut under root. 
root-headed (rot'hed"ed), a. Fixed as if rooted 
by the head; having a head like roots; rhizo- 
r ,.. 
(rot hous), II. 1 . A rustic house or 
lodge built ornamentally of roots. 
Winding forward down the valley, you pass beside a amall 
root-house, where on a tablet are these lines. 
Shenstone, Worka (ed. 1791X n. 289. 
2. A house for storing up or depositing pota- 
toes, turnips, carrots, cabbages, or other roots 
or tops, for the winter feed of cattle. 
root-knot (rot'not), . A knot or excrescence 
of a root; specifically, an abnormal irregular 
growth of the subcortical layer of tissue of roots 
and underground stems of various plants, 
shrubs ' a J trees, resulting from the attack of 
a Tipmatnid wnrm as a snp?,'ea nf AnniiillHlirfa, 
' 1 l^ mato .^ worm, as a species ot Angmlhihaa. 
ro0 * 1 , ( ro ^' " V pr ,9 i ^ PP ; roo * M ' PP r ' 
Z& ^p" 1 ' ^ V Torootu P' as 8Wlne - 
..fLi ! f >rr^lT' A ! r=Hiool lof So rf- 
root-leaf (rot lef), n. A radical leaf. See radi- 
cal leaves, under radical. 
rootless (rot'- or rut'les), a. [< rool + - 
1 . Having no root. 
ntinuance a 
roted habitte 
O f light sand, that wil with a blast or two be blowen down 
*r f- M*<>, Worka, p. iso. 
2. In eool., having a persistently open pulp-cav- 
ity and growing perennially, as the incisor teeth 
of rodents, and the molar teeth of many of these 
animals ; not rooted so as to stop growing. See 
Bodentia. 
rootlet (rot'- or rut'let),. [< root 1 + -let.'} A 
little root; a radicle; a root-fibril: specifically 
applied to the fine roots put forth by certain 
plants, by which they cling to their supports, 
as in Blius Toxicodendron. 
The tree whose rootfets drink of every river 
Kingdey, Saint's Tragedy, v. 2. 
root-loop (rot'lop), M. An arch or bow in a root, 
standing out of the ground 
root-louse (rot'lous), n. One of a number of 
radicicolous or root-feeding plant-lice of the 
