Category:Radical

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.)

Defn: relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate source of Derivation; as, a radical verbal form.

5. (math.)

Defn: 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.

Radical 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)

Defn: 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.)

Defn: 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.)

Defn: a radical vessel. See under radical, a.