(in Chinese writing) one of 214 ideographic elements used in combination with phonetics to form thousands of different characters.
[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < LL rādīcālis having roots, equiv. to L rādīc- (s. of rādīx) root1+ -ālis-al1]
—Related forms
rad·i·cal·ness, noun
—Synonyms 1. basic, essential; original, innate, ingrained. 2. complete, unqualified, thorough; drastic, excessive, immoderate, violent. Radical,extreme,fanatical denote that which goes beyond moderation or even to excess in opinion, belief, action, etc. Radical emphasizes the idea of going to the root of a matter, and this often seems immoderate in its thoroughness or completeness: radical ideas; radical changes or reforms. Extreme applies to excessively biased ideas, intemperate conduct, or repressive legislation: to use extreme measures. Fanatical is applied to a person who has extravagant views, esp. in matters of religion or morality, which render that person incapable of sound judgments; and excessive zeal which leads him or her to take violent action against those who have differing views: fanatical in persecuting others.
Arising from or going to a root or source; basic: proposed a radical solution to the problem.
Departing markedly from the usual or customary; extreme: radical opinions on education.
Favoring or effecting fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions: radical political views.
Linguistics Of or being a root: a radical form.
Botany Arising from the root or its crown: radical leaves.
Slang Excellent; wonderful.
n.
One who advocates fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions: radicals seeking to overthrow the social order.
Mathematics The root of a quantity as indicated by the radical sign.
Symbol R An atom or a group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron.
The usually underground portion of a plant that lacks buds, leaves, or nodes and serves as support, draws minerals and water from the surrounding soil, and sometimes stores food.
Any of various other underground plant parts, especially an underground stem such as a rhizome, corm, or tuber.
The embedded part of an organ or structure such as a hair, tooth, or nerve, that serves as a base or support.
A base or support: We snipped the wires at the roots.
The condition of being settled and of belonging to a particular place or society. Often used in the plural: Our roots in this town go back a long way.
roots The state of having or establishing an indigenous relationship with or a personal affinity for a particular culture, society, or environment: music with unmistakable African roots.
The element that carries the main component of meaning in a word and provides the basis from which a word is derived by adding affixes or inflectional endings or by phonetic change.
Such an element reconstructed for a protolanguage. Also called radical.
A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.
A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.
A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.
The note from which a chord is built.
Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.
An essential part or element; the basic core: I finally got to the root of the problem.
A primary source; an origin. See Synonyms at origin.
A progenitor or ancestor from which a person or family is descended.
The condition of being settled and of belonging to a particular place or society. Often used in the plural: Our roots in this town go back a long way.
roots The state of having or establishing an indigenous relationship with or a personal affinity for a particular culture, society, or environment: music with unmistakable African roots.
The element that carries the main component of meaning in a word and provides the basis from which a word is derived by adding affixes or inflectional endings or by phonetic change.
Such an element reconstructed for a protolanguage. Also called radical.
A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.
A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.
A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.
The note from which a chord is built.
Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.
Linguistics
The element that carries the main component of meaning in a word and provides the basis from which a word is derived by adding affixes or inflectional endings or by phonetic change.
Such an element reconstructed for a protolanguage. Also called radical.
A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.
A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.
A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.
The note from which a chord is built.
Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.
Mathematics
A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.
A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.
A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.
The note from which a chord is built.
Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.
Music
The note from which a chord is built.
Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.
v.
root·ed, root·ing, roots
v.
intr.
To grow roots or a root.
To become firmly established, settled, or entrenched.
To come into existence; originate.
v.
tr.
To cause to put out roots and grow.
To implant by or as if by the roots.
To furnish a primary source or origin to.
To remove by or as if by the roots. Often used with up or out:"declared that waste and fraud will be vigorously rooted out of Government"(New York Times).
[Middle English rot, from Old English rōt, from Old Norse; see wrād- in Indo-European roots.]
1398 (adj.), in a medieval philosophical sense, from L.L. radicalis "of or having roots," from L. radix (gen. radicis) "root" (see radish). Meaning "going to the origin, essential" is from 1651. Political sense of "reformist" (via notion of "change from the roots") is first recorded 1802 (n.), 1820 (adj.), of the extreme section of the British Liberal party (radical reform had been a current phrase since 1786); meaning "unconventional" is from 1921. U.S. youth slang use is from 1983, from 1970s surfer slang meaning "at the limits of control." Radical chic is attested from 1970.
(used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm; "extremist political views"; "radical opinions on education"; "an ultra conservative" [syn: extremist]
2.
markedly new or introducing radical change; "a revolutionary discovery"; "radical political views" [syn: revolutionary]
3.
arising from or going to the root or source; "a radical flaw in the plan"
4.
of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root; "a radical verb form"
5.
especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root or rootstock or a root-like stem; "basal placentation"; "radical leaves" [ant: cauline]
noun
1.
(chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule [syn: group]
2.
an atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron; in the body it is usually an oxygen molecule that has lost an electron and will stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby molecule; "in the body free radicals are high-energy particles that ricochet wildly and damage cells" [syn: free radical]
3.
a person who has radical ideas or opinions
4.
(mathematics) a quantity expressed as the root of another quantity
5.
a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram
6.
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem" [syn: root]
A root, such as √2, especially as indicated by a radical sign (√).
A group of atoms that behaves as a unit in chemical reactions and is often not stable except as part of a molecule. The hydroxyl, ethyl, and phenyl radicals are examples. Radicals are unchanged by chemical reactions.
Com"pound\, a. [OE. compouned, p. p. of compounen. See Compound, v. t.] Composed of two or more elements, ingredients, parts; produced by the union of several ingredients, parts, or things; composite; as, a compound word. Compound substances are made up of two or more simple substances. --I. Watts. Compound addition, subtraction, multiplication, division (Arith.), the addition, subtraction, etc., of compound numbers. Compound crystal (Crystallog.), a twin crystal, or one seeming to be made up of two or more crystals combined according to regular laws of composition. Compound engine (Mech.), a form of steam engine in which the steam that has been used in a high-pressure cylinder is made to do further service in a larger low-pressure cylinder, sometimes in several larger cylinders, successively. Compound ether. (Chem.) See under Ether. Compound flower (Bot.), a flower head resembling a single flower, but really composed of several florets inclosed in a common calyxlike involucre, as the sunflower or dandelion. Compound fraction. (Math.) See Fraction. Compound fracture. See Fracture. Compound householder, a householder who compounds or arranges with his landlord that his rates shall be included in his rents. [Eng.] Compound interest. See Interest. Compound larceny. (Law) See Larceny. Compound leaf (Bot.), a leaf having two or more separate blades or leaflets on a common leafstalk. Compound microscope. See Microscope. Compound motion. See Motion. Compound number (Math.), one constructed according to a varying scale of denomination; as, 3 cwt., 1 qr., 5 lb.; -- called also denominate number. Compound pier (Arch.), a clustered column. Compound quantity (Alg.), a quantity composed of two or more simple quantities or terms, connected by the sign + (plus) or - (minus). Thus, a + b - c, and bb - b, are compound quantities. Compound radical. (Chem.) See Radical. Compound ratio (Math.), the product of two or more ratios; thus ab:cd is a ratio compounded of the simple ratios a:c and b:d. Compound rest (Mech.), the tool carriage of an engine lathe. Compound screw (Mech.), a screw having on the same axis two or more screws with different pitch (a differential screw), or running in different directions (a right and left screw). Compound time (Mus.), that in which two or more simple measures are combined in one; as, 6-8 time is the joining of two measures of 3-8 time. Compound word, a word composed of two or more words; specifically, two or more words joined together by a hyphen.
Con*serv"a*tive\, a. [Cf. F. conservatif.]1. Having power to preserve in a safe of entire state, or from loss, waste, or injury; preservative. 2. Tending or disposed to maintain existing institutions; opposed to change or innovation. 3. Of or pertaining to a political party which favors the conservation of existing institutions and forms of government, as the Conservative party in England; -- contradistinguished from Liberal and Radical. We have always been conscientiously attached to what is called the Tory, and which might with more propriety be called the Conservative, party. --Quart. Rev. (1830). Conservative system (Mech.), a material system of such a nature that after the system has undergone any series of changes, and been brought back in any manner to its original state, the whole work done by external agents on the system is equal to the whole work done by the system overcoming external forces. --Clerk Maxwell.
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