rootstock

American

[root-stok, root-] / ˈrutˌstɒk, ˈrʊt- /

noun

Horticulture. a root and its associated growth buds, used as a stock in plant propagation.
Botany. a rhizome.

rootstock British

/ ˈruːtˌstɒk /

noun

another name for rhizome
another name for stock
biology a basic structure from which offshoots have developed

"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

rootstock Scientific

/ ro̅o̅t′stŏk′,rt′- /

See rhizome

Etymology

Origin of rootstock

First recorded in 1930–35; root ¹ + stock

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.

See Examples For:

rootstock

It uses a harmless bacterium to insert DNA into the rootstock exactly where it is needed to give the tree resistance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

A commercial tree comprises a rootstock, chosen for its tolerance to local conditions, grafted to the upper half which determines what sort of fruit is produced.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

In 1847, an enslaved man known only as Antoine invented a way to graft pecan trees, melding the scion of one pecan tree to the rootstock of another for easy propagation.

From Slate ● Nov. 24, 2022

The team tested how much 'torture' pistachio and walnut rootstock can withstand by placing them under drought stress.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2022

Its leaves and rootstock are astringent, and the latter yields a yellow dye.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 1 A to Amide by Various

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023