rootlet

American  

[root-lit, root-] / ˈrut lɪt, ˈrʊt- /

noun

Botany.

1. a little root.

2. a small or fine branch of a root.

3. one of the adventitious roots root by which ivy or the like clings to rocks or other supports.

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rootlet British  

/ ˈruːtlɪt /

noun

1. a small root or branch of a root

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Etymology

Origin of rootlet

First recorded in 1785–95; root ¹ + -let

Example Sentences

I believe it was the last, deepest rootlet of my denial, expelled.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 16, 2019

A seed does not normally germinate until the rootlet of a suitable plant creeps close to it through the soil.

From Time Magazine Archive

It suits Tryon to imagine a great green heart beating slowly beneath the earth, with every rootlet and capillary in the village pulsing to it.

From Time Magazine Archive

I wouldn’t trade a single rootlet for any of it.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate

The spokesman of the donors held it in his hand while making his speech, and the representative of the recipients tore off a rootlet or two while acknowledging the gift.

From The Fijians A Study of the Decay of Custom by Thomson, Basil