ROOT

(PLANT PART) [noun] [C] - the part of a plant which grows down into the earth to obtain water and food and which holds the plant firm in the groundThe girl carefully pulled up the weed by its roots (= pulled all of it out).In the desert, he lived on roots and berries.Irises have shallow roots (= Their roots do not grow very deep).See picture: Flowers and plantsThe root of a hair, tooth, or nail is the hidden part that connects it to the body.The dentist pulled out her tooth by the roots (= pulled all of it out).The root of something bad is the cause or origin of it.We must get to the root of (= discover the cause of) this problem.What lies at the root of the problem is their lack of interest.The high crime rate has its roots in unemployment and poverty.The root (cause) of your anxiety is probably your mother's neglect of you as a child.The main message of my sermon is that money is the root of all evil.(specialized) The root of a word is its most basic form, to which other parts, such as affixes, can be added.The root of the word 'sitting' is 'sit', and the root of 'friendliness' is 'friend'.'Merchant' comes from/is derived from the Latin root 'merx'."to produce"I've planted some saplings, but it'll be a while before they send out roots/take root (= start growing).(figurative) Communism has never taken root (= become established) in Britain.(formal) Racism must be eliminated, root and branch (= completely).In America, root beer is a fizzy drink without alcohol that is flavoured with the roots of various plants.(US) A root cellar is an area, often underground, for storing root crops and vegetables.A root crop is a plant such as potatoes or carrots that is grown because its roots are eaten.