Radicate

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. To fix something firmly in the ground by its roots ; having a root or being firmly rooted in a particular place
2. To establish or implant something so deeply that it takes root ; describing a plant or structure that has roots or is anchored by them
3. To plant something so it grows roots and holds fast ; characterized by having roots or being fixed in place by them

Etymology: "Radicate" is an English word meaning "to take root" or "to be rooted," and it comes straight from Latin. The Latin verb "radicari" meant "to take root," formed from "radix," the everyday Latin word for "root." The English term is built from the past participle "radicatus," so its shape already carries the idea of something that has put down roots. The English word is therefore a learned borrowing that keeps the Latin root almost untouched, which is why it looks so close to its source. Its partner "radix," meaning root, has also given English a wide family of words, from "radish" in its Latin-derived form to technical terms in mathematics and linguistics, so the root idea has spread far beyond this one verb.

Synonyms: root, take root

Antonyms: uproot