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Glite Dictionary
🦴 A small root 🌱 First root
radicle

radicle

9.9
A small root-like part of a nerve that branches from the main nerve
  • noun
  • /ˈrædɪkəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : radícula
  • When the seedling germinates, the first part to emerge is the radicle, which will develop into the root.

Examples

  • Early seedlings seem more vulnerable because of weak photosynthesis and their delicate radicles.

    Academic text (2014)

  • Botanists study the radicle to understand how plants anchor themselves in the ground.

  • The radicle of the plant grew downwards into the soil, establishing its roots.

Synonyms

rootlet
vsradicle
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A very small thin part of a plant under the ground that soaks up water and holds it in place

is a more general anatomical term for any rootlike small structure

How Small

filament
4 5.7
radicle
  • Specialized
9.9
root
258 1.0

Surface Forms

radicle singular
radicles plural

Morphology

radicle = radic + icle

The form is built from Latin-derived elements ('radic-' + '-icle') that are not productive or recognizable to average learners, so they cannot reliably infer 'small root' from the parts.

Etymology

Radicle comes from the Latin radix 'root' and the ending -icle meaning 'little', so it means 'little root'. The same root is in radical, and that's why radicle names tiny, root-like parts such as small nerve branches.