chroot

C3H4R1O1O1T1
/t͡ʃɹuːt/

verb

To change the apparent root directory for a running process, affecting whether or not it can access certain files etc.

Less commonScrabble 11
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbchroot (third-person singular simple present chroots, present participle chrooting, simple past and past participle chrooted)

present singular third person chroots · participle present chrooting · participle past chrooted · past chrooted

  1. UnixcomputingTo change the apparent root directory for a running process, affecting whether or not it can access certain files etc.

    Running a server in a chrooted environment greatly enhances overall system security on a Unix system.

    2004, Jeremy D. Zawodny, Derek J. Balling, High Performance MySQL: Optimization, Backups, Replication, Load Balancing & More, O'Reilly, →ISBN, page 235

Origin

From the name of the Unix command, short for “change root”.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

cohortrootch
Cite this entry
APA

chroot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chroot

MLA

“chroot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chroot. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chroot,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chroot.

Source: chroot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.