rootlet

English

Etymology tree

English root

Proto-Indo-European *-lós

Proto-Indo-European *-elós

Proto-Italic *-elos

Latin -lus

Latin -ellus

Old French -el

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Italic *-tosder.?

Late Latin -ittus

Old French -et

Old French -eletbor.

Middle English -let

English -let

English rootlet

From root + -let.

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rootlet (plural rootlets)

One of the smallest roots, hair roots.
- 2013, Margaret Atwood, MaddAddam, Bloomsbury, page 208:
  She can almost hear them pushing up through the soil, their rootlets sniffing for nutrients and crowding the rootlets of their neighbours, their leaves releasing clouds of airborne chemicals.

the smallest roots