root
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.the part of a plant that grows under the ground to find water and keep the plant in place.
n.the subterranean organ of a vascular plant that functions in anchorage and nutrient absorption.
Simple“The tree has very deep roots that help it survive during dry summers.”
In context“The invasive species developed an extensive root system that eventually compromised the structural integrity of the nearby stone wall.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.the basic cause or origin of something.
n.the fundamental source, origin, or primary cause of a situation or condition.
Simple“Money was at the root of all their family arguments.”
In context“The investigation sought to uncover the root of the systemic corruption that had plagued the department for decades.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.your family's history or the place where you come from.
n.a person's familial, cultural, or ancestral origins.
Simple“She moved back to Italy to rediscover her family roots.”
In context“Despite living abroad for thirty years, he maintained a strong connection to his Irish roots through music and literature.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.the most powerful user account on a computer system, or the top folder.
n.the superuser account on Unix-like systems with full administrative privileges; also the top-level directory in a hierarchy.
Simple“You need root access to install this specific software on the server.”
In context“The system administrator logged in as root to modify the core configuration files that were restricted to standard users.”
Synonymssuperuseradmin - 05 C1 Advanced
n.the basic part of a word that carries the main meaning.
n.the primary lexical unit of a word which carries the most significant semantic content and cannot be reduced further.
Simple“The English word 'friendship' comes from the root word 'friend'.”
In context“Etymologists traced the root of the verb back to a Proto-Indo-European term meaning to shine.”
- 06 B1 Intermediate
v.to show support for a team or person and hope they win.
v.to express vocal support or encouragement for a contestant or team.
Simple“I always root for the local team, even when they are losing.”
In context“The entire city was rooting for the underdog to pull off an upset in the championship final.”
Usageusually takes the preposition 'for'
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to look for something by moving things around or digging.
v.to rummage or search through items, often by moving them aside in a disorganized way.
Simple“She was rooting through her bag looking for her car keys.”
In context“He spent the afternoon rooting around in the attic, hoping to find the old photo albums his mother had mentioned.”
Usageoften used with 'around' or 'through'
Usage root cause · root causes · root of the problem
“She rose high from her East Tennessee roots and never forgot where she came from.”
“Yet the history of the Tricontinental had much deeper roots in Black political movements in the Americas.”