rooting
1 Americannoun
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a small or newly growing root of a plant, especially as used in plant propagation.
Cuttings, rootings, and bulbs can be sourced from your local garden store.
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the process of propagating plants from small sections of a root or rhizome or by forcing the growth of new roots.
Most plant rootings can be done in water.
A long, supple lower limb is carefully bent so it touches the ground and stripped of leaves and small shoots where the rooting is to take place.
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the act or process of growing roots.
Simply by adding compost to the soil you will aerate it and improve the rooting and growth of your shrubs and trees.
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the act or process of implanting or stabilizing something, as though it were a plant root.
The above-ground installation takes place after the rooting of the footing sections.
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the act or process of firmly fixing or establishing something, or the state of being firmly fixed or established.
The rooting of a person's attention in the present moment allows flotation to have a similar effect to that of meditation.
Our teaching methods clarify concepts and provide students with a rooting in real business practices.
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the state of being the source, origin, or basis of something.
For a concept to have meaning it must have some rooting in our experience, at least by analogy.
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Digital Technology. the act or process of gaining access to or manipulating the operating system of an electronic device, as a smartphone, tablet, or gaming system.
The rooting is done in three steps, and the tablet will reboot at the end of each step.
adjective
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of or relating to the roots or rhizomes of plants.
The rooting system consists of a short, thick taproot and vigorous, rhizomatous, creeping roots.
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of or relating to the propagation of plants by growing them from pieces of roots.
Keep the rooting media evenly moist, but never soggy.
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Digital Technology. of or relating to gaining access to or manipulating the operating system of an electronic device, as in order to alter system files or settings.
The rooting process involves the modification of system files that communicate directly with the device's hardware.
noun
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the act or result of digging up or turning over soil, especially with the snout.
The nature guides say there are no wild boar here, but we have found clear evidence of rootings, and we’re backed up by local sighting reports.
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the act of searching for or unearthing something: .
All inquiries, charges, rootings through the evidence, and rehashings of the past were abandoned; the country moved on
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of rooting1
First recorded in 1350–1400; root 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; root 1 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses
Origin of rooting2
First recorded in 1570–80; root 2 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; root 2 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses
Origin of rooting3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We’re rooting around for answers,” Nelligan said, “We all want to bring Denise and Stan Smart some peace after all these years.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
By the same token, there’s not much rooting them in this version of religion.
From Salon • May 4, 2026
"I will come back to Tokyo to fight for you again. Keep rooting for me."
From BBC • May 2, 2026
Intel has a lot of Americans rooting for it, including me.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Cramp leaned over and started rooting through his bag.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
