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definitions

root

3
[root or, sometimes, roo t]
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR root ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to encourage a team or contestant by cheering or applauding enthusiastically.
to lend moral support: The whole group will be rooting for him.

Origin of root

3
1885–90, Americanism; perhaps variant of rout4
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for root for

reinforce, boost, support, back, cooperate, benefit, sustain, aid, facilitate, expedite, call, discuss, talk, urge, uphold, favor, encourage, tout, recommend, propose
British Dictionary definitions for root for

root

1

noun

  1. the organ of a higher plant that anchors the rest of the plant in the ground, absorbs water and mineral salts from the soil, and does not bear leaves or buds
  2. (loosely) any of the branches of such an organ
any plant part, such as a rhizome or tuber, that is similar to a root in structure, function, or appearance
  1. the essential, fundamental, or primary part or nature of somethingyour analysis strikes at the root of the problem
  2. (as modifier)the root cause of the problem
anatomy the embedded portion of a tooth, nail, hair, etc
origin or derivation, esp as a source of growth, vitality, or existence
(plural) a person's sense of belonging in a community, place, etc, esp the one in which he was born or brought up
an ancestor or antecedent
Bible a descendant
the form of a word that remains after removal of all affixes; a morpheme with lexical meaning that is not further subdivisible into other morphemes with lexical meaningCompare stem 1 (def. 9)
maths a number or quantity that when multiplied by itself a certain number of times equals a given number or quantity3 is a cube root of 27
Also called: solution maths a number that when substituted for the variable satisfies a given equation2 is a root of x³ – 2x – 4 = 0
music (in harmony) the note forming the foundation of a chord
Australian and NZ slang sexual intercourse
root and branch
  1. (adverb)entirely; completely; utterly
  2. (adjective)thorough; radical; complete
Related adjective: radical

verb

Also: take root (intr) to put forth or establish a root and begin to grow
Also: take root (intr) to become established, embedded, or effective
(tr) to fix or embed with or as if with a root or roots
Australian and NZ slang to have sexual intercourse (with)
See also root out, roots, root up
Derived Formsrooter, nounrootlike, adjectiverooty, adjectiverootiness, noun

Word Origin for root

Old English rōt, from Old Norse; related to Old English wyrt wort

root

2

verb (intr)

(of a pig) to burrow in or dig up the earth in search of food, using the snout
(foll by about, around, in etc) informal to search vigorously but unsystematically
Derived Formsrooter, noun

Word Origin for root

C16: changed (through influence of root 1) from earlier wroot, from Old English wrōtan; related to Old English wrōt snout, Middle Dutch wrōte mole

root

3

verb

(intr usually foll by for) informal to give support to (a contestant, team, etc), as by cheering
Derived Formsrooter, noun

Word Origin for root

C19: perhaps a variant of Scottish rout to make a loud noise, from Old Norse rauta to roar
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for root for

root

n.

"underground part of a plant," late Old English rot, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse rot "root," figuratively "cause, origin," from Proto-Germanic *wrot (cf. Old English wyrt "root, herb, plant," Old High German wurz, German Wurz "a plant," Gothic waurts "a root," with characteristic Scandinavian loss of -w- before -r-), from PIE *wrad- (see radish (n.), and cf. wort). The usual Old English words for "root" were wyrttruma and wyrtwala.

Figurative use is from c.1200. Of teeth, hair, etc., from early 13c. Mathematical sense is from 1550s. Philological sense from 1520s. Slang meaning "penis" is recorded from 1846. In U.S. black use, "a spell effected by magical properties of roots," 1935. To take root is from 1530s. Root beer, made from the extracts of various roots, first recorded 1841, American English; root doctor is from 1821. Root cap is from 1875.

root

v.1

"dig with the snout," 1530s, from Middle English wroten "dig with the snout," from Old English wrotan "to root up," from Proto-Germanic *wrot- (cf. Old Norse rota, Swedish rota "to dig out, root," Middle Low German wroten, Middle Dutch wroeten, Old High German ruozian "to plow up"), from PIE root *wrod- "to root, gnaw."

Associated with the verb sense of root (n.). Extended sense of "poke about, pry" first recorded 1831. Phrase root hog or die "work or fail" first attested 1834, American English (in works of Davey Crockett, who noted it as an "old saying"). Reduplicated form rootin' tootin' "noisy, rambunctious" is recorded from 1875.

root

v.2

"cheer, support," 1889, American English, originally in a baseball context, probably from root (v.1) via intermediate sense of "study, work hard" (1856). Related: Rooted; rooting.

root

v.3

"fix or firmly attach by roots" (often figurative), early 13c., from root (n.); sense of "pull up by the root" (now usually uproot) also is from late 14c. Related: Rooted; rooting.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
root for in Medicine

root

[rōōt, rut]

n.

The embedded part of an organ or structure, such as a hair, tooth, or nerve, serving as a base or support.
A primary source; an origin; radix.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
root for in Science

root

[rōōt, rut]

A plant part that usually grows underground, secures the plant in place, absorbs minerals and water, and stores food manufactured by leaves and other plant parts. Roots grow in a root system. Eudicots and magnoliids have a central, longer, and larger taproot with many narrower lateral roots branching off, while monocots have a mass of threadlike fibrous roots, which are roughly the same length and remain close to the surface of the soil. In vascular plants, roots usually consist of a central cylinder of vascular tissue, surrounded by the pericycle and endodermis, then a thick layer of cortex, and finally an outer epidermis or (in woody plants) periderm. Only finer roots (known as feeder roots) actively take up water and minerals, generally in the uppermost meter of soil. These roots absorb minerals primarily through small epidermal structures known as root hairs. In certain plants, adventitious roots grow out from the stem above ground as aerial roots or prop roots, bending down into the soil, to facilitate the exchange of gases or increase support. Certain plants (such as the carrot and beet) have fleshy storage roots with abundant parenchyma in their vascular tissues. See also fibrous root taproot.
Any of various other plant parts that grow underground, especially an underground stem such as a corm, rhizome, or tuber.
The part of a tooth that is embedded in the jaw and not covered by enamel.
Mathematics
  1. A number that, when multiplied by itself a given number of times, produces a specified number. For example, since 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 = 16, 2 is a fourth root of 16.
  2. A solution to an equation. For example, a root of the equation x2 - 4 = 0 is 2, since 22 - 4 = 0.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
root for in Culture

root

In biology, the part of a plant that grows downward and holds the plant in place, absorbs water and minerals from the soil, and often stores food. The main root of a plant is called the primary root; others are called secondary roots. The hard tip is called the root cap, which protects the growing cells behind it. Root hairs increase the root's absorbing surface.

root

The part of a tooth below the gum. The root anchors the tooth to the jawbone.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with root for

root for

Cheer on, give moral support to, as in The fans were out rooting for their team, or I've been rooting for you to get that promotion. This expression may come from the British verb rout, which is used of cattle and means “bellow.” [Late 1800s]

root

In addition to the idioms beginning with root

  • root and branch
  • rooted to the spot
  • root for
  • root of the matter
  • root out

also see:

  • put down roots
  • take root
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.