Anat.
a nerve fiber bundle that emerges from either side of the spinal cord and joins with a complementary bundle to form each spinal nerve in the series of spinal nerves: the root at the rear of the spinal cord (dorsal root or sensory root) conveys sensations to the central nervous system, and the root at the front (ventral root or motor root) conveys impulses to the muscles.
[ 1875-80 ]