rooting

¹

[ roo-ting, root-ing ]

noun

1. a small or newly growing root of a plant, especially as used in plant propagation:

   Cuttings, rootings, and bulbs can be sourced from your local garden store.

2. the process of propagating plants from small sections of a root or rhizome or by forcing the growth of new roots:

   Most plant rootings can be done in water.

   A long, supple lower limb is carefully bent so it touches the ground and stripped of leaves and small shoots where the rooting is to take place.

3. the act or process of growing roots:

   Simply by adding compost to the soil you will aerate it and improve the rooting and growth of your shrubs and trees.

4. the act or process of implanting or stabilizing something, as though it were a plant root:

   The above-ground installation takes place after the rooting of the footing sections.

5. the act or process of firmly fixing or establishing something, or the state of being firmly fixed or established:

   The rooting of a person's attention in the present moment allows flotation to have a similar effect to that of meditation.

   Our teaching methods clarify concepts and provide students with a rooting in real business practices.

6. the state of being the source, origin, or basis of something:

   For a concept to have meaning it must have some rooting in our experience, at least by analogy.

7. Digital Technology. the act or process of gaining access to or manipulating the operating system of an electronic device, as a smartphone, tablet, or gaming system:

   The rooting is done in three steps, and the tablet will reboot at the end of each step.

adjective

1. of or relating to the roots or rhizomes of plants:

   The rooting system consists of a short, thick taproot and vigorous, rhizomatous, creeping roots.

2. of or relating to the propagation of plants by growing them from pieces of roots:

   Keep the rooting media evenly moist, but never soggy.

3. Digital Technology. of or relating to gaining access to or manipulating the operating system of an electronic device, as in order to alter system files or settings:

   The rooting process involves the modification of system files that communicate directly with the device's hardware.

rooting

²

[ roo-ting, root-ing ]

noun

1. the act or result of digging up or turning over soil, especially with the snout:

   The nature guides say there are no wild boar here, but we have found clear evidence of rootings, and we’re backed up by local sighting reports.

2. the act of searching for or unearthing something: .

   All inquiries, charges, rootings through the evidence, and rehashings of the past were abandoned; the country moved on

adjective

1. having to do with turning over or digging up soil:

   The rooting activities of armadillos can damage the below-ground portions of native vegetation.

rooting

³

[ roo-ting, root-ing ]

noun

1. the act of cheering on or supporting a person or team (often used attributively):

   In spite of all the rooting and automatic qualification for being the host country, the United States did not get beyond the second round.

   The rooting section for the young patient includes her parents and her 10-year-old brother.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rooting¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; root ¹( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; root ¹( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses

Origin of rooting²

First recorded in 1570–80; root ²( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; root ²( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses

Origin of rooting³

root ³( def ) + -ing ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Light-welterweight Jack Catterall: "I've been a fan of Taylor for a quite a while so I'll be rooting for her."

From BBC

Cohn, who died in 1986, could have told Trump that McCarthy—who rose to prominence by rooting out and prosecuting suspected Communists in government—made his big misstep when he went after Army officers.

From Slate

I confess to Milioti that I was rooting for Sofia to beat Oz at his own game.

From Los Angeles Times

In a Thursday episode, Jones called for a series of trials aimed at rooting out Democrats from society, noting the plan was “being prepared right now.”

From Salon

“I just love horses. I love being around them. There is a lot of stress in this business but when I see the horses it takes it away from me. They are calming. They are such noble animals. They’re like kids. You watch and help them develop. I’m not rooting for the jockey. I’m rooting for the horse. That’s my horse. That’s my guy.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acclaim
• accolade
• kudos
• ovation
• praise
• standing ovation