root

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Plants, Grammar, Numbers, Biology, Maths

root1 /ruːt/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable]  1  plant 植物HBP the part of a plant or tree that grows under the ground and gets water from the soil 根 tree roots 树根 These plants produce a number of thin roots. 这些植物会长出一些细根。 → root crop, root vegetable →4  See picture of 见图 TREE →5 see picture at 见图 tree2  cause of a problem 问题的起因CAUSE the main cause of a problem 〔问题的〕根源，起因be/lie at the root of something (=be the cause of something) 是某事物的根本原因 Allergies are at the root of a lot of health problems. 过敏是许多健康问题的根源。 The love of money is the root of all evil. 贪财是万恶之源。 A competent mechanic should be able to get to the root of the problem (=find out the cause of a problem). 称职的机械师应该能够找到问题的根源。 the root causes of crime 犯罪的根本原因3  origin/main part 起源/主要部分COME FROM/ORIGINATE the origin or main part of something such as a custom, law, activity etc, from which other things have developed 起源；基础；根本root in a legal system with roots in English common law 基于英国普通法的司法制度 Jazz has its roots in the folk songs of the southern states of the US. 爵士乐起源于美国南部诸州的民歌。be/lie at the root of something 是某事物的根本原因 the liberal economic policies which lie at the root of American power 成为美国国力基础的自由经济政策4  FAMILY CONNECTION 家族联系somebody’s roots COME FROM/ORIGINATEyour relation to a place because you were born there, or your family used to live there 某人的根〔指与出生地、家乡的联系〕 immigrants keeping in touch with their cultural roots 和自己的文化根脉一直保持着联系的移民 Alex Haley’s story about his search for his roots became a bestseller. 亚历克斯·哈利写的关于他寻根的故事成了畅销书。5  put down roots LIVE SOMEWHEREif you put down roots somewhere, you start to feel that a place is your home and to have relationships with the people there 扎下根 Because of her husband’s job, they’d moved too often to put down roots anywhere. 因为丈夫工作的关系，他们经常搬家，难以在一个地方扎下根来。6  tooth/hair etc 牙齿/头发等HBH the part of a tooth, hair etc that connects it to the rest of your body 〔牙齿、头发等的〕根部 She’d pulled some of Kelly’s hair out by the roots. 她连根拔下了凯利的几根头发。7  take root a) START something/MAKE something STARTif an idea, method, activity etc takes root, people begin to accept or believe it, or it begins to have an effect 〔观点、方法、活动等〕扎根；深入人心；开始见效 Economists believe that economic recovery will begin to take root next year. 经济学家相信明年经济将开始复苏。 b) HBPif a plant takes root, it starts to grow where you have planted it 〔植物〕生根8. have a (good) root round British English informalLOOK FOR to search for something by moving other things around 翻找9. language 语言 technicalSLG the basic part of a word which shows its main meaning, to which other parts can be added. For example, the word ‘coldness’ is formed from the root ‘cold’ and the suffix ‘ness’. 词根 → stem10  mathematics 数学 technicalHMN a number that, when multiplied by itself a certain number of times, equals the number that you have 根 2 is the fourth root of 16. 2是16的4次方根。11  root and branch GET RID OFif you destroy or change something root and branch, you get rid of it or change it completely and permanently because it is bad 彻底地，永久地〔消除或改变不良事物〕 a root and branch reform of the electoral system 对选举制度的彻底改革 → cube root, square root, grass roots

Examples from the Corpus

root• They usually have well developed roots and fragile stems with which to resist the pressure of the current.• But its roots go back decades.• I doubt whether you can have deep London roots, or Birmingham, or even Stoke-on-Trent roots.• The long roots of Water Lettuce provide shelter for fish and fry.• The dozen rich families have intermarried so many times that family trees are tangles of roots.• The word bond comes from the same root as bind, for the corporation binds it-self to make the specified payments.• The love of money is said to be the root of all evil.• Cover the roots with plenty of soil.• Low taxation of the rich is the root of the economic problems in this country.• Truffles are parasites that grow on the roots of trees.• We need to get to the root of the problem.• The roots of the wars in the Balkans go back hundreds of years.root causes• But Didion is interested in root causes, not in immediate provocations.• Like retrenching, the technique of restricting behavior betrays a peculiar logic about performance and its root causes.• The main inhibitors to progress, and the root causes of fear, can include: Unrealistic personal goals and expectations.• What are the root causes? 4.• The charity used the occasion to call for fresh action to tackle the root causes of world poverty.• Health promotion - keeping people healthy, and treating the root causes of ill health.• Some have their root causes in subjective factors, others in objective factors and others still are a mixture.• While standard educational practices are not in themselves root causes of work inhibition, these practices usually exacerbate the problem.be/lie at the root of something• As we shall find, this distinction lies at the root of Anselm's movements in his last years as archbishop.• It is our illusion of separateness which lies at the root of our fears.• Several other causes, according to their findings, often lie at the root of violence against tenants.• We found that two key resource uses and two basic technologies lay at the root of lunar industry.• That view lies at the root of a government drive against the racist right.• Consent, which lies at the root of self-determination, should be the conceptual mechanism whereby the right is guaranteed and safeguarded.• They overlook the human ability to negate, which lies at the root of thinking.• Biblical writings, which lie at the root of Western culture, make numerous mention of portents in the heavens.

Related topics: Plants

root2 verb  1  plant 植物 a) [intransitive]HBP to grow roots 生根 New shrubs will root easily in summer. 新灌木在夏季容易生根。 b) [transitive] if a plant is rooted somewhere, it is held in the ground firmly by its roots 使〔植物〕牢牢扎根 a bush firmly rooted in the hard ground 牢牢扎根于硬实土地的一丛灌木root itself Clumps of thyme had rooted themselves between the rocks. 一丛丛百里香在岩石中间扎了根。n Grammar Root is either passive or reflexive in this meaning.2  be rooted in something COME FROM/ORIGINATEto have developed from something and be strongly influenced by it 起源于某事物 The country’s economic troubles are rooted in a string of global crises. 这个国家的经济困境是源于一连串的全球危机。 This feeling of rejection is often deeply rooted in childhood. 这种受排斥的感觉往往起源于童年，根深蒂固。3  search 寻找 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]LOOK FOR to search for something by moving things around 翻找 SYN rummageroot through/in/amongst something (for something) Leila rooted through her handbag for a pen. 莉拉在手提包里翻找钢笔。4  pigs 猪 [intransitive usually + adverb/preposition] if a pig roots somewhere, it looks for food under the ground 拱土觅食root for pigs rooting for truffles 拱土寻找块菌的猪5  rooted to the spot/floor/ground etc NOT MOVINGso shocked, surprised, or frightened that you cannot move 〔震惊、惊讶或害怕得〕呆住不动 She stood rooted to the spot, staring at him. 她呆若木鸡地站着，盯住他看。6 root for somebody phrasal verb informal a) SUPPORT A TEAM OR PLAYERto want someone to succeed in a competition, test, or difficult situation 给〔参赛者、应试者或处境困难的人〕支持；鼓励；声援 You can do it – I’m rooting for you. 你行的——我支持你。b) especially American EnglishSUPPORT A TEAM OR PLAYER to support a sports team or player by shouting and cheering 为〔参赛队或运动员〕欢呼[喝彩，加油] the Los Angeles fans rooting for the Lakers 为湖人队喝彩加油的洛杉矶球迷7 root something ↔ out phrasal verb a) STOP something THAT IS HAPPENINGto find out where a particular kind of problem exists and get rid of it 根除，杜绝〔问题〕 Action is being taken to root out corruption in the police force. 正在采取措施根除警察队伍里的腐败现象。b) FINDto find something by searching for it 搜寻 I’ll try and root out something for you to wear. 我会找些衣服出来给你穿。8.root something ↔ up phrasal verb DLGto dig or pull a plant up with its roots 将〔植物〕连根挖起[拔起]→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

root• To begin with, though, it is the narrator, Austin, in whom our sympathies are rooted.• To prevent birds pulling them up, net the rows until they root and cut off any wispy tips.• He roots around in a deep drawer and comes out with a bright, brand-new-looking leather strap.• Saguaros in bloom, the glare of a horned owl and javelinas rooting for a bite to eat.• The bush was too firmly rooted in the hard earth to dig up easily.• A prime source of violence resides in the elitist educational strategies that are firmly rooted in the school ethos.• A crest of wavy, blond hair was loosely rooted on a magisterial forehead.• These include massacres and dislocation of civilians in the name of rooting out supposed guerrilla sympathizers.root itself• Thus, the root itself is at depth 0.root through/in/amongst something (for something)• His virtue was as much rooted in superstition as in goodness.• My love of nature, of life and of my country took root in these simple but spiritual beginnings.• Realism directed its challenge to the attempt to construct an autonomous science of law which was rooted in legal positivism.• Such abuses produced a deregulatory movement that took root in the Carter administration and flourished under Ronald Reagan.• The ban on giving the imagination and the mind free play is rooted in the fear of excessive individuality.• The Dundee disease has its roots in a virus called money.• The twelfth-century papacy was rooted in a distant and revered past.Origin root1 (1100-1200) Old Norse rot root2 1. (1200-1300) → ROOT12. Old English wrotan. root for (1800-1900) Perhaps from rout (of cattle) “to make a loud sound” ((14-19 centuries)), from Old Norse rauta

root1 nounroot2 verb →n GRAMMAR1LDOCE OnlineChinese  

or under of the Corpus plant grows tree that a part

root

I

root¹ S2 W2 /ruːt/ noun [countable]1.  PLANT the part of a plant or tree that grows under the ground and gets water from the soil:
    tree roots
    These plants produce a number of thin roots. ⇨ root crop, root vegetable
2.  CAUSE OF A PROBLEM the main cause of a problem
    be/lie at the root of something (=be the cause of something)
    Allergies are at the root of a lot of health problems.
    The love of money is the root of all evil.
    A competent mechanic should be able to get to the root of the problem (=find out the cause of a problem).
    the root causes of crime
3.  ORIGIN/MAIN PART the origin or main part of something such as a custom, law, activity etc, from which other things have developed
    root in
    a legal system with roots in English common law
    Jazz has its roots in the folk songs of the southern states of the US.
    be/lie at the root of something
    the liberal economic policies which lie at the root of American power
4.  FAMILY CONNECTION sb’s roots your relation to a place because you were born there, or your family used to live there:
    immigrants keeping in touch with their cultural roots
    Alex Haley’s story about his search for his roots became a bestseller.
5. put down roots if you put down roots somewhere, you start to feel that a place is your home and to have relationships with the people there:
    Because of her husband’s job, they’d moved too often to put down roots anywhere.
6.  TOOTH/HAIR ETC the part of a tooth, hair etc that connects it to the rest of your body:
    She’d pulled some of Kelly’s hair out by the roots.
7. take root
  a. if an idea, method, activity etc takes root, people begin to accept or believe it, or it begins to have an effect:
    Economists believe that economic recovery will begin to take root next year.
  b. if a plant takes root, it starts to grow where you have planted it
8. have a (good) root round British English informal to search for something by moving other things around
9.  LANGUAGE technical the basic part of a word which shows its main meaning, to which other parts can be added. For example, the word ‘coldness’ is formed from the root ‘cold’ and the suffix ‘ness’. ⇨ stem
10.  MATHEMATICS technical a number that, when multiplied by itself a certain number of times, equals the number that you have:
    2 is the fourth root of 16.
11. root and branch if you destroy or change something root and branch, you get rid of it or change it completely and permanently because it is bad:
    a root and branch reform of the electoral system
⇨ cube root, square root, grass roots
     

THESAURUS

■ where something comes from
   ▪ origin/origins the place or situation in which something begins to exist: the origins of the conflict in the Middle East | The book explains the origin of words. | Her disability is genetic in origin.
   ▪ source the thing, place etc that you get something from: They get their money from various sources. | Beans are a good source of protein.
   ▪ root the root of a problem is the main cause. The roots of something are the things that it was originally based on: Allergies are at the root of a lot of health problems. | At the root of the crisis was a shortage of hard cash. | They want a return to the roots of Christianity. | Reggae has its roots in a range of different musical styles.
   ▪ the birthplace of something the place where something first started to exist: New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz. | Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee
   ▪ the cradle of something the place where something important first started – used mainly in the following phrases: Ancient Athens is considered to be the cradle of democracy. | Baghdad was the cradle of civilization.
   ▪ starting point an idea, suggestion etc from which a discussion, process, or project can develop: His paper provided an excellent starting point for discussion.

II

root² verb1.  PLANT
  a. [intransitive] to grow roots:
    New shrubs will root easily in summer.
  b. [transitive usually passive] if a plant is rooted somewhere, it is held in the ground firmly by its roots:
    a bush firmly rooted in the hard ground
    root itself
    Clumps of thyme had rooted themselves between the rocks.
2. be rooted in something to have developed from something and be strongly influenced by it:
    The country’s economic troubles are rooted in a string of global crises.
    This feeling of rejection is often deeply rooted in childhood.
3.  SEARCH  [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to search for something by moving things around
   SYN  rummage
    root through/in/amongst something (for something)
    Leila rooted through her handbag for a pen.
4.  PIGS  [intransitive usually + adverb/preposition] if a pig roots somewhere, it looks for food under the ground
    root for
    pigs rooting for truffles
5. rooted to the spot/floor/ground etc so shocked, surprised, or frightened that you cannot move:
    She stood rooted to the spot, staring at him.
     
root for somebody phrasal verb informal
  1. to want someone to succeed in a competition, test, or difficult situation:
    You can do it – I’m rooting for you.
  2. especially American English to support a sports team or player by shouting and cheering:
    the Los Angeles fans rooting for the Lakers
root something ↔ out phrasal verb
  1. to find out where a particular kind of problem exists and get rid of it:
    Action is being taken to root out corruption in the police force.
  2. to find something by searching for it:
    I’ll try and root out something for you to wear.
root something ↔ up phrasal verb
  to dig or pull a plant up with its roots