root

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.1.1 Homophones 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Synonyms 1.2.1.2 Derived terms 1.2.1.3 Translations 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Verb 1.3.1.1 Usage notes 1.3.1.2 Synonyms 1.3.1.3 Derived terms 1.3.1.4 Translations 1.3.2 Noun 1.3.2.1 Usage notes 1.3.2.2 Synonyms 1.3.2.3 Translations

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ruːt/, SAMPA: /ru:t/, enPR: ro͞ot
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -uːt

[edit] Homophones

• route (Commonwealth English)

[edit] Etymology 1

From Middle English root, ‘the underground part of a plant’, from late Old English rōt, from Old Norse rōt, from Proto-Germanic *wrot, from Proto-Indo-European *wrd-, ‘root’; cognate with wort and radix.

[edit] Noun

root (plural roots)

1. The primary source.

   The love of money is the root of all evil.

2. The part of a plant, generally underground, that absorbs water and nutrients.
3. The part of a tooth extending into the bone holding the tooth in place.
4. The part of a hair under the skin that holds the hair in place.
5. (arithmetic) Of a number or expression, a number which, when raised to a specified power, yields the specified number or expression.

   The cube root of 27 is 3.

6. (arithmetic) A square root (understood if no power is specified; in which case, “the root of” is often abbreviated to “root”).

   Multiply by root 2.

7. (analysis) A zero (of a function).
8. (graph theory, computing) The single node of a tree that has no parent.
9. (philology) A word from which another word or words are derived.
10. (computing) In UNIX terminology, the first user account with complete access to the operating system and its configuration, found at the root of the directory structure.
11. (computing) The person who manages accounts on a UNIX system.

[edit] Synonyms

• (source): basis, origin, source
• (zero of a function): zero
• (word from which another is derived): etymon
• (Unix or Unix-like computer operating system administrator and/or account): superuser (See Wikipedia: Superuser), root account, root user

[edit] Derived terms

cube root functional root put down roots root canal root cause rootkit roots

roots music rootsy square root strictly roots take root taproot

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 2

From Middle English wrōten, ‘to dig with the snout’, from Old English wrōtan, from Proto-Germanic *wrotanan, ‘to dig out, to root’, from Proto-Indo-European *red-, ‘to scrape, to scratch, to gnaw’; cognate with rodent.

[edit] Verb

to root (third-person singular simple present roots, present participle rooting, simple past and past participle rooted)

1. To rummage, to search as if by digging in soil, to root out.
2. (US) To cheer to show support for a sports team, etc.
   • 1908, Jack Norworth, Take Me Out to the Ball Game

     Let me root, root, root for the home team,

3. (Australian coarse slang) To have sexual intercourse.

[edit] Usage notes

• The Australian sexual sense is somewhat milder than fuck but still quite coarse, certainly not for polite conversation. The sexual sense will often be understood, unless care is taken with the context to make the rummage sense clear. The US sports sense, so to speak of “rooting for the team” can cause amusement among Australians. The past participle rooted is equivalent to fucked in the figurative sense of broken or tired, but rooting is only the direct verbal sense, it isn’t an all-purpose intensive like fucking.

[edit] Synonyms

• (rummage): dig out, root out, rummage
• (cheer): barrack (Britain, Australia, New Zealand), cheer on
• (have sexual intercourse): screw (US), shag (British) - See WikiSaurus:sexual intercourse

[edit] Derived terms

root about rooted root for

root out root up

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

root (plural roots)

1. (Australian coarse slang) An act of sexual intercourse.
2. (Australian coarse slang) A sexual partner.

[edit] Usage notes

• The Australian sexual senses of root is somewhat milder than fuck but still quite coarse, certainly not for polite conversation. The normal usage is to have a root or similar.

[edit] Synonyms

• (act of sexual intercourse): screw (UK, US), shag (UK); see also WikiSaurus:sexual intercourse
• (sexual partner): screw (US)

[edit] Translations