Uprooters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To remove or displace a plant from its natural growth in the soil
2. to dislocate or expel someone or something from a familiar environment
3. individuals who engage in the act of tearing something away from its roots and foundation

Etymology: "Uprooters" is the plural of "uprooter," which is formed from "uproot" plus the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who performs the action. "Uproot" itself is built from "up" and "root," with the sense of pulling a plant out of the ground along with its roots. The compound follows the familiar English pattern of a verb-plus-particle, the same kind seen in words like "upset" or "upkeep." The suffix "-er" has been used in English for centuries to turn verbs into nouns naming people or things that do the action, such as "baker" or "reader." Applying it to "uproot" produces a straightforward term for anyone or anything that pulls something up from its base, whether a gardener clearing weeds or, figuratively, a force that dislodges people or customs from their settled place. The plural simply adds the usual "-s."