take root

verb

To grow roots into soil.

“Those tulip bulbs have taken root.”

Similar
settlerootsteady downsettle down
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Meanings

verbtake root (third-person singular simple present takes root, present participle taking root, simple past took root, past participle taken root)

present singular third person takes root · participle present taking root · past took root · participle past taken root

  1. intransitiveliterallyTo grow roots into soil.

    Those tulip bulbs have taken root.

  2. figurativelyintransitiveTo become established, to take hold.

    The new regulations have yet to take root.

    1 more example

    You have of late stood out against your brother, and he hath ta'en you newly into his grace; where it is impossible you should take true root but by the fair weather that you make yourself: it is needful that you frame the season for your own harvest.

    1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbecome settled or established and stable in one's residence or life style

Similar
settlerootsteady downsettle down
Broader
stabilizestabilise
Also see
rootsettlesettle down

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Catalan arrelar, arrelar
  • arrelarto grow roots into soil
  • arrelarto become established, to take hold
Chinese Mandarin 生根, 生根
  • 生根 (shēnggēn)to grow roots into soil
  • 生根 (shēnggēn)to become established, to take hold
Finnish juurtua, vakiintua
  • juurtuato grow roots into soil
  • vakiintuato become established, to take hold
French prendre racine, raciner
  • prendre racineto grow roots into soil
  • racinerto grow roots into soil
  • s'enracinerto become established, to take hold
German einwurzeln, Wurzeln schlagen
  • einwurzelnto grow roots into soil
  • Wurzeln schlagento become established, to take hold
Greek ριζοβολώ, ριζώνω
  • ριζοβολώ (rizovoló)to grow roots into soil
  • ριζώνω (rizóno)to grow roots into soil
  • ριζοβολώ (rizovoló)to become established, to take hold
Hungarian gyökeret ver/ereszt/hajt, megered
  • gyökeret ver/ereszt/hajtto grow roots into soil
  • megeredto grow roots into soil
  • meggyökerezikto grow roots into soil
  • meggyökeresedikto grow roots into soil
  • gyökeret verto become established, to take hold
  • meggyökerezikto become established, to take hold
  • meggyökeresedikto become established, to take hold
  • megszilárdulto become established, to take hold
  • rögzülto become established, to take hold
  • rögződikto become established, to take hold
Italian barbificare
  • barbificareto grow roots into soil
Japanese 根付く, 根付く
  • 根付く (nezuku)to grow roots into soil
  • 根付く (nezuku)to become established, to take hold
Korean 뿌리박다
  • 뿌리박다 (ppuribakda)to grow roots into soil
Latin rādīcō
  • rādīcōto grow roots into soil
Māori rarau
  • rarauto become established, to take hold
Polish zakorzeniać się, zakorzenić się
  • zakorzeniać sięto grow roots into soil
  • zakorzenić sięto grow roots into soil
  • zakorzeniać sięto become established, to take hold
  • zakorzenić sięto become established, to take hold
Portuguese enraizar, deitar raízes
  • enraizarto grow roots into soil
  • deitar raízesto grow roots into soil
  • fixar raízesto grow roots into soil
  • pegarto grow roots into soil
  • criar raízesto become established, to take hold
  • radicarto become established, to take hold
Romanian înrădăcina
  • înrădăcinato grow roots into soil
Russian принима́ться, приня́ться
  • принима́ться (prinimátʹsja)to grow roots into soil
  • приня́ться (prinjátʹsja)to grow roots into soil
  • пуска́ть ко́рни (puskátʹ kórni)to grow roots into soil
  • пусти́ть ко́рни (pustítʹ kórni)to grow roots into soil
  • укореня́ться (ukorenjátʹsja)to become established, to take hold
  • укорени́ться (ukorenítʹsja)to become established, to take hold
Spanish radicar, echar raíces
  • radicarto grow roots into soil
  • echar raícesto grow roots into soil
  • arraigarto grow roots into soil
  • radicarto become established, to take hold
Swedish slå rot, slå rot
  • slå rotto grow roots into soil
  • slå rotto become established, to take hold
Tamil வேரூன்று, வேர்விழு
  • வேரூன்று (vērūṉṟu)to grow roots into soil
  • வேர்விழு (vērviḻu)to grow roots into soil
  • வேர்விடு (vērviṭu)to grow roots into soil
  • வேரோடு (vērōṭu)to grow roots into soil
  • வேரூன்று (vērūṉṟu)to become established, to take hold
Turkish köklenmek, kök salmak
  • köklenmekto grow roots into soil
  • kök salmakto grow roots into soil
  • kök salmakto become established, to take hold
Ukrainian вкорі́нюватися, вкоріня́тися
  • вкорі́нюватися (vkorínjuvatysja)to grow roots into soil
  • вкоріня́тися (vkorinjátysja)to grow roots into soil
  • вкорени́тися (vkorenýtysja)to grow roots into soil
  • прийма́тися (pryjmátysja)to grow roots into soil
  • прийня́тися (pryjnjátysja)to grow roots into soil
  • прижива́тися (pryžyvátysja)to grow roots into soil
  • прижи́тися (pryžýtysja)to grow roots into soil
  • пуска́ти корі́ння (puskáty korínnja)to grow roots into soil
  • пусти́ти корі́ння (pustýty korínnja)to grow roots into soil
  • вкорі́нюватися (vkorínjuvatysja)to become established, to take hold
  • вкоріня́тися (vkorinjátysja)to become established, to take hold
  • вкорени́тися (vkorenýtysja)to become established, to take hold
Vietnamese mọc rễ
  • mọc rễto grow roots into soil
Cite this entry
APA

take root. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20root

MLA

“take root.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20root. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take root,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20root.

Source: take root on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.