root and branch

root and branch
1 the firm should be eradicated, root and branch: COMPLETELY, entirely, wholly, totally, thoroughly.
2 a root-and-branch reform: COMPLETE, total, thorough, radical.
→ root

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root and branch phrase
involving all parts

The Party wanted root and branch electoral reform.

Thesaurus: everything and including everythingsynonym
Main entry: root

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root and branch,
Especially British.
1. radical; drastic; extreme: »

Our…service is obsolete, requiring root and branch reform (London Times).

2. completely; utterly: »

Political circumstances have forced him to oppose the Marples programme root and branch (Manchester Guardian Weekly).

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used to express the thorough or radical nature of a process or operation

root and branch reform of personal taxation

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root and branch — see ↑root, 1
• • •
Main Entry: ↑branch
————————
root and branch
chiefly Brit
1 : complete or thorough

a root and branch overhaul of local schools

2 : completely or thoroughly

The laws were reformed root and branch.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑root

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ˌroot and ˈbranch idiom
thoroughly and completely

•

The government set out to destroy the organization root and branch.

•

root-and-branch reforms

Main entry: ↑rootidiom

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Root and branch — Root Root, n. [Icel. r[=o]t (for vr[=o]t); akin to E. wort, and perhaps to root to turn up the earth. See {Wort}.] 1. (Bot.) (a) The underground portion of a plant, whether a true root or a tuber, a bulb or rootstock, as in the potato, the onion …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Root and branch — Branch Branch, n.; pl. {Branches}. [OE. braunche, F. branche, fr. LL. branca claw of a bird or beast of prey; cf. Armor. brank branch, bough.] 1. (Bot.) A shoot or secondary stem growing from the main stem, or from a principal limb or bough of a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • root-and-branch — root and branchˈ adjective and adverb 1. Without leaving any part 2. Thorough(ly), complete(ly) • • • Main Entry: ↑root …   Useful english dictionary

  • root and branch — ► root and branch (of a process or operation) thorough or radical. Main Entry: ↑root …   English terms dictionary

  • Root and Branch — The Root and Branch Petition was a petition presented to the Long Parliament on December 11, 1640. The petition had been signed by 15,000 Londoners and was presented to the English Parliament by a crowd of 1,500. The petition called on Parliament …   Wikipedia

  • root-and-branch — formal root and branch if something is changed or removed root and branch, it is changed or removed completely because it is bad. These proposals amount to a root and branch reform of the system. (always before noun) …   New idioms dictionary

  • root and branch —    If an action is performed thoroughly or completely, it is done root and branch .     The causes of the disease must be eliminated root and branch …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • root and branch — formal if something is changed or removed root and branch, it is changed or removed completely because it is bad. Racism must be eliminated, root and branch …   New idioms dictionary

  • root and branch — 1) the company s accounting department should be eradicated, root and branch Syn: completely, entirely, wholly, totally, thoroughly 2) a root and branch reform Syn: complete, total, thorough, radical …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • root and branch — involving all parts The Party wanted root and branch electoral reform …   English dictionary

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