Link Centre Dictionary

taproot

tap·root

US/ˈtæpˌɹuːt/ uncommon

noun

1.
2.

something that provides an important central source for growth or development

  • “the taproot of his resentment”
  • “genius and insanity spring from the same taproot”

Origin

From tap + root. The oldest use (by Philemon Holland) is spaced as tap root. In the 18th and 19th centuries the standard spelling was tap-root.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.