noun
cutting roots; root pruning
Literal act of cutting plant roots, often in gardening or agriculture.
植え替えの前に根切りをすると、根の張りが良くなる。
Cutting the roots before repotting improves root growth.
noun
extermination; rooting out; eradication
Figurative use: eliminating something completely, as if cutting its roots. Often used for problems, pests, or undesirable elements.
汚職の根切りを図るため、新たな監視機関が設置された。
A new oversight body was established to root out corruption.
根絶 is a more formal term for eradication, often used in official or medical contexts, while 根切り can carry a more vivid, physical image of cutting roots.
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.