the part of a plant or tree that grows under the ground and gets
water from the soil: These plants produce a number of thin
roots. the main cause of a problem cause of a problem be/lie at
the root of something (=be the cause of something) Allergies are
at the root of a lot of health problems. The love of money is
the root of all evil. A competent mechanic should be able to get
to the root of the problem (=find out the cause of a problem).
the root causes of crime the origin or main part of something
such as a custom, law, activity etc, from which other things
have developed a legal system with roots in English common law
Jazz has its roots in the folk songs of the southern states of
the US. be/lie at the root of something the liberal economic
policies which lie at the root of American power your relation
to a place because you were born there, or your family used to
live there: immigrants keeping in touch with their cultural
roots Alex Haley's story about his search for his roots became a
bestseller. if you p