radical, basal
(adjective) especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root or rootstock or a root-like stem; âbasal placentationâ; âradical leavesâ
extremist, radical, ultra
(adjective) (used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm; âextremist political viewsâ; âradical opinions on educationâ; âan ultra conservativeâ
revolutionary, radical
(adjective) markedly new or introducing radical change; âa revolutionary discoveryâ; âradical political viewsâ
radical
(adjective) arising from or going to the root or source; âa radical flaw in the planâ
radical
(adjective) of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root; âa radical verb formâ
root, root word, base, stem, theme, radical
(noun) (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; âthematic vowels are part of the stemâ
radical
(noun) a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram
radical
(noun) a person who has radical ideas or opinions
radical
(noun) (mathematics) a quantity expressed as the root of another quantity
group, radical, chemical group
(noun) (chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule
Source: WordNet® 3.1
radical (comparative more radical, superlative most radical)
Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
(botany, not comparable) Pertaining to a root (of a plant).
Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.
Synonym: fundamental
Antonyms: ignorable, trivial
Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.
(lexicography, not comparable) Of or pertaining to the root of a word.
(phonology, phonetics, not comparable, of a sound) Produced using the root of the tongue.
Coordinate terms: coronal, dorsal, labial, laryngeal
(chemistry, not comparable) Involving free radicals.
(math) Relating to a radix or mathematical root.
(slang, 1980s & 1990s) Excellent; awesome.
• (linguistics, in reference to words): primitive
• (linguistics, in reference to words): derivative, derived
radical (plural radicals)
(historical: 19th-century Britain) A member of the most progressive wing of the Liberal Party; someone favouring social reform (but generally stopping short of socialism).
(historical: early 20th-century France) A member of an influential, centrist political party favouring moderate social reform, a republican constitution, and secular politics.
A person with radical opinions.
(arithmetic) A root (of a number or quantity).
(linguistics) In logographic writing systems such as the Chinese writing system, the portion of a character (if any) that provides an indication of its meaning, as opposed to phonetic.
(linguistics) In Semitic languages, any one of the set of consonants (typically three) that make up a root.
(chemistry) A group of atoms, joined by covalent bonds, that take part in reactions as a single unit.
(organic chemistry) A free radical.
(algebra, commutative algebra, ring theory, of an ideal) Given an ideal I in a commutative ring R, another ideal, denoted Rad(I) or , such that an element x â R is in Rad(I) if, for some positive integer n, xn â I; equivalently, the intersection of all prime ideals containing I.
(algebra, ring theory, of a ring) Given a ring R, an ideal containing elements of R that share a property considered, in some sense, "not good".
(algebra, ring theory, of a module) The intersection of maximal submodules of a given module.
(number theory) The product of the distinct prime factors of a given positive integer.
• aldaric, cardial
Source: Wiktionary
Rad"i*cal, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. radicalis having roots, fr. radix, - icis, a root. See Radix.]
1. Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the root.
2. Hence: Of or pertaining to the root or origin; reaching to the center, to the foundation to the ultimate sources to the principles, or the like: original; fundamental; thorough-going; unsparing; extreme; as, radical evils; radical reform; a radical party. The most determined exertions of that authority, against them, only showed their radical independence. Burke.
3. (Bot.) (a) Belonging to, or proceeding from, the root of a plant; as, radical tubers or hairs. (b) Proceeding from a rootlike stem, or one which does not rise above the ground; as, the radical leaves of the dandelion and the sidesaddle flower.
4. (Philol.)
Definition: Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate source of derivation; as, a radical verbal form.
5. (Math.)
Definition: Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as, a radical quantity; a radical sign. See below. Radical axis of two circles. (Geom.) See under Axis.
– Radical pitch, the pitch or tone with which the utterance of a syllable begins. Rush.
– Radical quantity (Alg.), a quantity to which the radical sign is prefixed; specifically, a quantity which is not a perfect power of the degree indicated by the radical sign; a surd.
– Radical sign (Math.), the sign sq. root (originally the letter r, the initial of radix, root), placed before any quantity, denoting that its root is to be extracted; thus, sq. roota, or sq. root(a + b). To indicate any other than the square root, a corresponding figure is placed over the sign; thus cube roota, indicates the third or cube root of a.
– Radical stress (Elocution), force of utterance falling on the initial part of a syllable or sound.
– Radical vessels (Anat.), minute vessels which originate in the substance of the tissues.
Syn.
– Primitive; original; natural; underived; fundamental; entire.
– Radical, Entire. These words are frequently employed as interchangeable in describing some marked alternation in the condition of things. There is, however, an obvious difference between them. A radical cure, reform, etc., is one which goes to the root of the thing in question; and it is entire, in the sense that, by affecting the root, it affects in a appropriate degree the entire body nourished by the root; but it may not be entire in the sense of making a change complete in its nature, as well as in its extent. Hence, we speak of a radical change; a radical improvement; radical differences of opinion; while an entire change, an entire improvement, an entire difference of opinion, might indicate more than was actually intended. A certain change may be both radical and entire, in every sense.
Rad"i*cal, n.
1. (Philol.) (a) A primitive word; a radix, root, or simple, underived, uncompounded word; an etymon. (b) A primitive letter; a letter that belongs to the radix. The words we at present make use of, and understand only by common agreement, assume a new air and life in the understanding, when you trace them to their radicals, where you find every word strongly stamped with nature; full of energy, meaning, character, painting, and poetry. Cleland.
2. (Politics)
Definition: One who advocates radical changes in government or social institutions, especially such changes as are intended to level class inequalities; -- opposed to conservative. In politics they [the Independents] were, to use phrase of their own time. "Root-and-Branch men," or, to use the kindred phrase of our own, Radicals. Macaulay.
3. (Chem.) (a) A characteristic, essential, and fundamental constituent of any compound; hence, sometimes, an atom. As a general rule, the metallic atoms are basic radicals, while the nonmetallic atoms are acid radicals. J. P. Cooke. (b) Specifically, a group of two or more atoms, not completely saturated, which are so linked that their union implies certain properties, and are conveniently regarded as playing the part of a single atom; a residue; -- called also a compound radical. Cf. Residue.
4. (Alg.)
Definition: A radical quantity. See under Radical, a. An indicated root of a perfect power of the degree indicated is not a radical but a rational quantity under a radical form. Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. )
5. (Anat.)
Definition: A radical vessel. See under Radical, a.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
26 November 2024
(noun) (music) playing in a different key from the key intended; moving the pitch of a piece of music upwards or downwards
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
