Definition of "Root"

Root

proper noun
1. An English surname from Middle English from a byname from Middle English rote (“glad”).
  Quotations
  In July this year, Mrs. Betty Root, who is in charge of the reading centre at Reading University's Institute of Education, reported 'that there are now more backward readers than ever, in spite of the large number of teaching methods now available'.
  1969, The Critical Survey, volume 4, page 3
2. An English surname originating as an occupation for a rote (medieval guitar)-player.
3. A habitational surname from Dutch for someone living near a retting place (Dutch root, from roten (“to ret”)).
4. A town in Lucerne canton, Switzerland.
5. A township in Adams County, Indiana, United States.
6. A town in Montgomery County, New York, United States; named for lawyer and politician Erastus Root.
7. A river in Minnesota, United States; named as a translation of its native Dakota name.
8. A river in Wisconsin, United States.