take root — to become established or begin to grow and develop
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to become established or begin to grow and develop
Pronunciation (IPA): /teɪk ruːt/
Example Sentences
- His terrible dad jokes somehow took root and became family tradition.
- Democratic values took root in the newly independent nation.
- The conspiracy theory took root faster than weeds in his paranoid mind.
take root
VERB[/teɪk ruːt/]
to become established or begin to grow and develop
New ideas take root in the village when the teacher plants a small library.
When ideas take root, they shoot up and bear fruit!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The phrase 'take root' combines 'take' from Old Norse 'taka' (to seize or grasp) and 'root' from Old English 'rōt' (the underground part of a plant). The literal image of a plant establishing its roots was metaphorically extended to mean 'become established or settle' in the figurative sense.
Breakdown
take (Old Norse 'taka': to seize/grasp) + root (Old English 'rōt': underground plant part). The compound evolved from the literal botanical process to the abstract meaning of becoming firmly established or accepted.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His terrible dad jokes somehow took root and became family tradition.”
“Democratic values took root in the newly independent nation.”
“The conspiracy theory took root faster than weeds in his paranoid mind.”
“Innovation must take root in corporate culture to drive success.”
📚Related Words
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