root

/ɹuːt/noun

The part of a plant, usually below the ground, that holds it in place and takes in water and nutrients from the soil.

Example sentence

“The old oak's roots had cracked the pavement around it.”

Rich in figurative uses: the root of the problem, taking root, putting down roots. In some accents it sounds identical to 'route'.

Related words

trunkThe enclosed storage space at the back of a car where luggage is kept.vineA climbing plant on which grapes grow.branchA woody limb that grows out from a tree's trunk and often splits into smaller parts.mossA tiny green plant without seeds that grows in soft patches on soil, rocks, and tree trunks.twigA thin little branch on a tree or shrub.fernA flowerless plant with feathery leaves that reproduces by releasing spores instead of seeds.