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Vinony

taproot

noun

  1. the large single root of plants such as the dandelion, which grows vertically downwards and bears smaller lateral roots
L329044 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈtæpˌɹuːt/

noun

Etymology: 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.

  1. A long, tapering root, exhibited by many plant species (such as carrots and dandelions).

    “The taproots of trees like the false acacia, growing between Park Royal and Alperton, thrust deeply into the ground, while the spreading roots of the silver birch stitch the soil.”

    “Above the lower headcut, phreatophytic mesquite and little leaf sumac hug the banks, drawing pendulate water from the silts remaining from former marsh deposits and sending long taproots into channel stores.”