rooting

Etymology

From Middle English rotynge (“rooting”); equivalent to root + -ing.

noun

1. A system of roots; a secure attachment (in something); a firm grounding.
2. The process of forming roots or taking roots.
3. A method of creating a new plant by getting part of an existing plant to form roots.
4. A hole formed by a pig when it roots in the ground.
   These rootings may be as deep as two and a half feet, depending on how large a pig has been working.
   1968, Gary Douglas E. Joll, Big game hunting in New Zealand, page 209:
5. The reflex a baby makes when hungry and seeking milk.

verb

1. present participle and gerund of root