root
/ɹut/ verb C2- To grow roots; to enter the earth, as roots; to take root and begin to grow. · The cuttings are starting to root.
- To prepare, oversee, or otherwise cause the rooting of cuttings. · We rooted some cuttings last summer.
- To fix firmly; to establish.
- To get root or privileged access on (a computer system or mobile phone), often through bypassing some security mechanism. · We rooted his box and planted a virus on it.· I want to root my Android phone so I can remove the preinstalled crapware.
He/she/it roots · Past rooted · Past participle rooted · -ing form rooting
Verb forms
- Base form
- root
- He/she/it
- roots
- Past
- rooted
- Past participle
- rooted
- -ing form
- rooting
Phrasal verbs and expressions
From the library
“I am sorry to see a pupil of mine displaying such a temper and such a vindictive spirit,” he said in a solemn tone, as if the mere fact of being a pupil of his ought to root out all evil passions from the hearts of small imperfect mortals.
Oh, fat, brown, root-digging fool that I am,” said Baloo, uncoiling himself with a jerk, “it is true what Hathi the Wild Elephant says: `To each his own fear’; and they, the Bandar-log, fear Kaa the Rock Snake.
“There is,” said he, at the end of his meditations, “a clever maxim, which bears upon what I was saying to you some little while ago, and that is, that unless wicked ideas take root in a naturally depraved mind, human nature, in a right and wholesome state, revolts at crime.
No, I wasn't satisfied, and I determined that I would get to the root of the matter.
Other matches
- root The part of a plant, generally underground, tha... A2
- root To turn up or dig with the snout. C2
- root To cheer C2
- root An act of rummaging or searching. C2
- root about To forage by poking the snout here and there.
- root around To forage by poking the snout here and there.
- root out To remove or abolish completely.
- root up To dig or pull up by the roots.
Learn root in real texts
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