Radicable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Able to be pulled out by the roots or completely wiped out of existence
2. Describing something that can be removed entirely, down to its underlying source
3. Capable of being torn away at the root or stamped out completely

Etymology: "Radicable" is a rare English adjective meaning capable of being rooted out or eradicated. It comes from Latin "radicare", "to take root", from "radix", "root", and the same Latin base gives English "radical", "radish" and "radicle". The English word was formed by adding the suffix "-able" to "radicate", the verb meaning to root or to become rooted, which is itself drawn from the Latin stem, so its history follows the sense of "root" directly. The surprise lies in the prefix-less form. English also has "eradicable" with "e-" (from Latin "ex-", "out of"), meaning able to be pulled up by the root. "Radicable" lacks that prefix, and so its plain sense is closer to "able to take root." Dictionaries record it sparingly, and the usage is mostly confined to older or technical writing, so its literal meaning is usually reached by thinking about the root rather than by everyday usage.