Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The main root of a plant, usually stouter than the lateral roots and growing straight downward from the stem.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In botany, the main root of a plant, which grows vigorously downward to a considerable depth, giving off lateral roots in acropetal succession. See cut under root.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) The root of a plant which penetrates the earth directly downward to a considerable depth without dividing.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun something that provides an important central source for growth or development
  • noun (botany) main root of a plant growing straight downward from the stem

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

tap + root

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Examples

  • Tepary beans’ taproot is twice as long as common beans’ (Phaseolus vulgaris), which allows teparies to efficiently take advantage of even small amounts of soil moisture.

    Ingredient: Tepary Beans with Recipe for Tepary Bean and Vegetable Stew Laurie Constantino 2009

  • Tepary beans’ taproot is twice as long as common beans’ (Phaseolus vulgaris), which allows teparies to efficiently take advantage of even small amounts of soil moisture.

    Archive 2009-04-01 Laurie Constantino 2009

  • It had something called a taproot that grew underground and stored energy for the cactus to use if there was a drought.

    The Lost Children Carolyn Cohagan 2010

  • It had something called a taproot that grew underground and stored energy for the cactus to use if there was a drought.

    The Lost Children Carolyn Cohagan 2010

  • It had something called a taproot that grew underground and stored energy for the cactus to use if there was a drought.

    The Lost Children Carolyn Cohagan 2010

  • It had something called a taproot that grew underground and stored energy for the cactus to use if there was a drought.

    The Lost Children Carolyn Cohagan 2010

  • Start now to anchor that taproot in your own garden, and reap the benefits of your own hard work for years to come.

    Anne Hill: Keep Your Author Platform Rooted in the Independent Web Anne Hill 2012

  • Start now to anchor that taproot in your own garden, and reap the benefits of your own hard work for years to come.

    Anne Hill: Keep Your Author Platform Rooted in the Independent Web Anne Hill 2012

  • Start now to anchor that taproot in your own garden, and reap the benefits of your own hard work for years to come.

    Anne Hill: Keep Your Author Platform Rooted in the Independent Web Anne Hill 2012

  • When I asked what she was doing, she said something in her thick Polish accent, something about a graft, something about a taproot, something about how gardening was how she liked to spend her day off.

    The Boy from Thuringia David Booth 2010

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