cutting roots; root pruning
Literal act of cutting plant roots, often in gardening or agriculture.
extermination; rooting out; eradication
Figurative use: eliminating something completely, as if cutting its roots. Often used for problems, pests, or undesirable elements.
Cutting the roots before repotting improves root growth.
A new oversight body was established to root out corruption.
Standard kanji spelling for this noun.
Compound of 根 (root) and 切り (cutting), from the verb 切る (to cut). The figurative sense of eradication developed from the literal image of cutting roots.