{ "term": "root", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "b2", "image": "data/images/pl/plants.png", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "the part of a plant that grows under the ground and takes in water and minerals that it sends to the rest of the plant", "sensetop": "by the roots", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "deep spreading roots" }, { "text": "Tree roots can cause damage to buildings." }, { "text": "I pulled the plant up by the roots *(= including the roots)*.", "contextForm": "by the roots" }, { "text": "root vegetables/crops *(= plants whose roots you can eat, such as carrots)*" }, { "text": "Good soil promotes strong root growth." }, { "text": "Root tips die quickly when exposed to light and air." } ], "topics": ["Plants and trees", "Food"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["deep", "shallow", "gnarled"], "verb + root": ["develop", "grow", "put down"], "root + verb": ["grow"], "root + noun": ["system", "ball", "crops"], "preposition": ["by its/​the roots"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "the part of a hair, tooth, nail or tongue that attaches it to the rest of the body", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "hair that is blonde at the ends and dark at the roots" } ], "topics": ["Body"] }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "the main cause of something, such as a problem or difficult situation", "sensetop": "root of somethingat the root of something", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Money, or love of money, is said to be **the root of all evil**.", "contextForm": "root of something" }, { "text": "We have to get to **the root of the problem**." }, { "text": "What lies at the root of his troubles is a sense of insecurity.", "contextForm": "at the root of something" }, { "text": "What would you say was the **root cause** of the problem?" }, { "text": "His fears of loneliness lay at the very root of his inability to leave." }, { "text": "I expect money is at the root of the matter." }, { "text": "I've spent months trying to get to the root of the problem." }, { "text": "They consider globalization to be the root of all evil." } ], "topics": ["Change, cause and effect"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["deep", "strong", "very"], "verb + root": ["have", "explore", "find"], "root + verb": ["be planted in something", "go back"], "root + noun": ["cause"], "preposition": ["at (the root of)", "root in"], "phrases": [ "the root of all evil", "the root of the matter", "the root of the problem" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "the origin or basis of something", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Flamenco may have its roots in Arabic music." }, { "text": "The festival has ancient and deep roots in English culture." }, { "text": "Her last three albums have seen her return to her bluegrass roots" }, { "text": "We wanted to remain true to our creative roots." }, { "text": "The two languages share a common root." }, { "text": "Jazz's roots are firmly planted in African tradition." }, { "text": "The custom has its roots in Wales." }, { "text": "This shameful treatment struck at the very roots of their human dignity." }, { "text": "The unrest has roots in religious differences." }, { "text": "They can trace their roots back to the 16th century." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["deep", "strong", "very"], "verb + root": ["have", "explore", "find"], "root + verb": ["be planted in something", "go back"], "root + noun": ["cause"], "preposition": ["at (the root of)", "root in"], "phrases": [ "the root of all evil", "the root of the matter", "the root of the problem" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "the feelings or connections that you have with a place because you have lived there or your family came from there", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "I'm proud of my Italian roots." }, { "text": "After 20 years in America, I still feel my roots are in England." }, { "text": "We have made lifelong friendships and put down roots." }, { "text": "My husband wants to go back to his Irish roots." }, { "text": "severed from our cultural roots by industrialization" } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["humble", "strong", "cultural"], "verb + roots": ["get back to", "go back to", "return to"] } }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "the part of a word that has the main meaning and that its other forms are based on; a word that other words are formed from", "labels": "(linguistics)", "examples": [ { "text": "‘Comfort’ is the root of ‘comfortable’, ‘comfortably’, ‘discomfort’ and ‘uncomfortable’." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "a quantity which, when multiplied by itself a particular number of times, produces another quantity", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [], "topics": ["Maths and measurement"] }, { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "to develop roots", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "to settle and live in one place", "examples": [ { "text": "After ten years travelling the world, she felt it was time to put down roots somewhere." }, { "text": "We haven't been here long enough to put down roots." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "completely and in a way that affects every part of something", "examples": [ { "text": "The government set out to destroy the organization root and branch." }, { "text": "root-and-branch reforms" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "to develop roots", "examples": [ { "text": "I hope those cuttings will take root." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "to become accepted widely", "examples": [ { "text": "Fortunately, militarism failed to take root in Europe as a whole." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/ruːt/", "audio": "ro/root/route__gb_3.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/ruːt/", "audio": "ro/root/root__us_1_rr.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "noun late Old English rōt, from Old Norse rót; related to Latin radix." }