taproot

[ tap-root, -root ]

noun

, Botany.

1. a main root descending downward from the radicle and giving off small lateral roots. root.

taproot

/ ˈtæpˌruːt /

noun

1. the large single root of plants such as the dandelion, which grows vertically downwards and bears smaller lateral roots

taproot

/ tăp′ro̅o̅t′,-rt′ /

1. The main root in gymnosperms, eudicotyledons, and magnoliids, usually stouter than the lateral roots and growing straight downward from the stem. The taproot develops from the primary root. The taproot and its lateral roots penetrate deeper into the soil than the fibrous roots characteristic of monocotyledons.
2. Compare fibrous root

taproot

1. The single deep root of many deciduous trees that forms the basis for their root systems .

Notes

Figuratively, a “taproot” is the source of an idea or work: “His childhood in Wales is the taproot of his poetry.”

Derived Forms

• ˈtapˌrooted, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of taproot¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; tap ² + root ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of taproot¹

C17: from tap ² + root ¹

Example Sentences

The taproot went down further, nearly 5 feet deep, in the first generation of mowed plants.

From Science Daily

Unconsciousness is the taproot of these various kinds of enslavement we experience today.

From Los Angeles Times

When we tackle issues at the taproot, we set ourselves up for a better future.

From Seattle Times

Thanks to their long taproots, they pull nutrients like calcium up from deep in the soil, making them available to other plants, and acting like a natural fertilizer.

From National Geographic

Flowering causes the taproot, the edible root that we consume, to turn woody and inedible.

From Science Daily