rooty

¹ American  

[roo-tee, root-ee] / ˈru ti, ˈrʊt i /

adjective

rootier, rootiest

1. abounding in or consisting of roots. root.

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rooty ² American  

[roo-tee, root-ee] / ˈru ti, ˈrʊt i /

Or rooti

noun

Chiefly British: Rare.

1. bread; roti.

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Other Word Forms

• rootiness noun

Etymology

Origin of rooty¹

First recorded in 1475–85; root ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of rooty²

First recorded in 1880–85; from Bengali ruṭī; akin to Hindi roṭī roti ( def. )

Example Sentences

Make way for thru-hikers on this remote stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail, then carefully pick your way down the rooty spur trail to the lake.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 23, 2022

Across the road from the Appalachian Trail’s parking lot, the path is well maintained and includes a variety of terrain, from rocky to rooty, much under deciduous tree cover.

From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2020

Costus, a type of thistle, provided the rooty, leathery notes—and also, McCall said, “the smell of unwashed hair.”

From The New Yorker • Jan. 26, 2017

Much of the trail is rocky or rooty, with some big steps.

From Washington Times • Oct. 11, 2015

As if by design, they both stopped at the same spot, above the half-submerged, rooty clump of a fallen tree.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli