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In partic., an edible root, Caes. B. C. 3, 48; esp. a radish: Syriaca, Col. 11, 3, 16; 59: also simply radix, Pall. 1, 35, 5; Hor. S. 2, 8, 8; Ov. M. 8, 666 al.: dulcis, licorice, Scrib. Comp. 170.
Transf. The root, i. e. the lower part of an object, the foot of a hill, mountain, etc.
In plur.: in radicibus Caucasi natus, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52: in radicibus Amani, id. Fam. 15, 4, 9: sub ipsis radicibus montis, Caes. B. G. 7, 36; 7, 51 fin.; 69; id. B. C. 1, 41; 3, 85, 1 et saep.
In sing.: a Palatii radice, Cic. Div. 1, 45, 101; Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 180.
That upon which any thing is fixed or rests (e. g. the tongue, a feather, a rock); a root, foundation (poet.; used alike in sing. and plur.): linguae, Ov. M. 6, 557: plumae, id. ib. 2, 583: saxi, Lucr. 2, 102; Ov. M. 14, 713.
Radix virilis = membrum virile, Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 1, 13.
Trop., a root, ground, basis, foundation, origin, source (almost entirely in the plur.): vera gloria radices agit atque etiam propagatur, Cic. Off. 2, 12, 43: virtus altissimis defixa radicibus, id. Phil. 4, 5, 13: audeamus non solum ramos amputare miseriarum, sed omnes radicum fibras evellere, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: facilitatis et patientiae, id. Cael. 6, 14: Pompeius eo robore vir, iis radicibus, i. e. so deeply rooted, firmly established in the State, id. Att. 6, 6, 4: illic radices, illic fundamenta sunt, Quint. 10, 3, 3: a radicibus evertere domum, from its foundation, utterly, Phaedr. 3, 10, 49: ex iisdem, quibus nos, radicibus natum (C. Marium), i. e. a native of the same city, Cic. Sest. 22, 50; Varr. R. R. 2, 8, 1; cf. in sing.: Apollinis se radice ortum, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 72: ego sum radix David, Vulg. Apoc. 22, 16 et saep.
Of words, origin, derivation, Varr. L. L. 6, 5, 61; 7, 3, 88 al.