taproot en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈtæpˌɹuːt/ (US)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From tap + root. The oldest use (by Philemon Holland) is spaced as tap root. In the 18th and 19th centuries the standard spelling was tap-root.
Meanings
-
A long, tapering root, exhibited by many plant species (such as carrots and dandelions).
On the other hand, those who are compelled by a single strong desire are obsessed with a well-defined problem, which touches the taproot of their soul. They are on the attack, on the move.
2024 October 10, David Brooks, “How Harris Can Finish Strong”, in The New York Times:The taproots of trees like the false acacia, growing between Park Royal and Alperton, thrust deeply into the ground, while the spreading roots of the silver birch stitch the soil.
1950 July, “Traveller's Joy”, in Railway Magazine, page ii (advertisement):Above the lower headcut, phreatophytic mesquite and little leaf sumac hug the banks, drawing pendulate water from the silts remaining from former marsh deposits and sending long taproots into channel stores.
2007, Susan L. Woodward, “Modern Vegetation of the Murray Springs Area and the Upper San Pedro Valley”, in Caleb Vance Haynes, Bruce B. Huckell, editor, Murray Springs, page 58:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| taproots | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (33)
gl pivote (long tapering root) · la rādīx pālāris (long tapering root) · pl korzeń palowy (long tapering root) · mi kōmore (long tapering root) · it fittone (long tapering root) · izh emäjuuri (long tapering root) · de Pfahlwurzel (long tapering root) · ar جَذْر وَتَدِيّ (long tapering root) · fr racine pivotante (long tapering root) · cs kůlový kořen (long tapering root) · mi tāmore (long tapering root) · fi pääjuuri (long tapering root) · ta முதல்வேர் (long tapering root) · gv bun-fraue (long tapering root) · tl laliming ugat (long tapering root) · ar جِذْر وَتَدِيّ (long tapering root) · fa ریشهی راست (long tapering root) · izh pääjuuri (long tapering root) · sv pålrot (long tapering root) · th รากแก้ว (long tapering root) · bg отвесен корен (long tapering root) · nb pælerot (long tapering root) · mi more (long tapering root) · tl punong-ugat (long tapering root) · ta அடிவேர் (long tapering root) · ta ஆணிவேர் (long tapering root) · da pælerod (long tapering root) · cs hlavní kořen (long tapering root) · mi kōmoremore (long tapering root) · es raíz pivotante (long tapering root) · ru стержнево́й ко́рень (long tapering root) · ta தாய்வேர் (long tapering root) · hu főgyökér (long tapering root)