roo m|ing house (rooming houses ) N‑COUNT A rooming house is a building that is divided into small flats or single rooms which people rent to live in. [AM ]
room|mate /ruː mme I t, rʊ m-/ (roommates ) also room-mate
1 N‑COUNT Your roommate is the person you share a rented room, apartment, or house with, for example when you are at university. [AM ]
2 N‑COUNT Your roommate is the person you share a rented room with, for example when you are at university. [BRIT ]
roo m ser|vice N‑UNCOUNT Room service is a service in a hotel by which meals or drinks are provided for guests in their rooms. □ The hotel did not normally provide room service.
roomy /ruː mi/ (roomier , roomiest )
1 ADJ If you describe a place as roomy , you mean that you like it because it is large inside and you can move around freely and comfortably. [APPROVAL ] □ The car is roomy and a good choice for anyone who needs to carry equipment.
2 ADJ If you describe a piece of clothing as roomy , you mean that you like it because it is large and fits loosely. [APPROVAL ] □ …roomy jackets.
roost /ruː st/ (roosts , roosting , roosted )
1 N‑COUNT A roost is a place where birds or bats rest or sleep.
2 VERB When birds or bats roost somewhere, they rest or sleep there. □ [V prep/adv] The peacocks roost in nearby shrubs.
3 PHRASE If bad or wrong things that someone has done in the past have come home to roost , or if their chickens have come home to roost , they are now experiencing the unpleasant effects of these actions. □ Appeasement has come home to roost.
4 PHRASE If you say that someone rules the roost in a particular place, you mean that they have control and authority over the people there. [INFORMAL ] □ Today the country's nationalists rule the roost and hand out the jobs.
roost|er /ruː stə r / (roosters ) N‑COUNT A rooster is an adult male chicken. [AM ] in BRIT, use cock
root ◆◇◇ /ruː t/ (roots , rooting , rooted )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The roots of a plant are the parts of it that grow under the ground. □ …the twisted roots of an apple tree.
2 VERB If you root a plant or cutting or if it roots , roots form on the bottom of its stem and it starts to grow. □ [V ] Most plants will root in about six to eight weeks. □ [V n] Root the cuttings in a heated propagator.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Root vegetables or root crops are grown for their roots which are large and can be eaten. □ …root crops such as carrots and potatoes.
4 N‑COUNT The root of a hair or tooth is the part of it that is underneath the skin. □ [+ of ] …decay around the roots of teeth.
5 N‑PLURAL [usu poss N ] You can refer to the place or culture that a person or their family comes from as their roots . □ I am proud of my Brazilian roots.
6 N‑COUNT You can refer to the cause of a problem or of an unpleasant situation as the root of it or the roots of it. □ [+ of ] We got to the root of the problem.
7 N‑COUNT The root of a word is the part that contains its meaning and to which other parts can be added. [TECHNICAL ] □ The word 'secretary' comes from the same Latin root as the word 'secret'.
8 VERB If you root through or in something, you search for something by moving other things around. □ [V prep] She rooted through the bag, found what she wanted, and headed toward the door.
9 → see also rooted , cube root , grass roots , square root
10 PHRASE If something has been completely changed or destroyed, you can say that it has been changed or destroyed root and branch . [WRITTEN ] □ Abolitionists wanted to destroy slavery root and branch. □ Some prison practices are in need of root and branch reform.
11 PHRASE If someone puts down roots , they make a place their home, for example by taking part in activities there or by making a lot of friends there. □ When they got to Montana, they put down roots and built a life.
12 PHRASE If an idea, belief, or custom takes root , it becomes established among a group of people. □ Time would be needed for democracy to take root.
▸ root around in BRIT, also use root about PHRASAL VERB If you root around or root about in something, you look for something there, moving things around as you search. □ [V P prep] 'It's in here somewhere,' he said, rooting about in his desk. [Also V P ]
▸ root for PHRASAL VERB If you are rooting for someone, you are giving them your support while they are doing something difficult or trying to defeat another person. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] Good luck, we'll be rooting for you.
▸ root out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you root out a person, you find them and force them from the place they are in, usually in order to punish them. □ [V P n] The generals have to root out traitors. □ [V n P ] It shouldn't take too long to root him out.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you root out a problem or an unpleasant situation, you find out who or what is the cause of it and put an end to it. □ [V P n] There would be a major drive to root out corruption. [Also V n P ] SYNONYMS root NOUN 7
source: This gave me a clue as to the source of the problem.