Rhizome
/ˈraɪ.zoʊm/noun
A thick underground stem that grows horizontally and sends out roots and shoots.
Did you know?Rhizome comes from Greek ῥίζωμα (rhízōma), meaning a mass of roots, from ῥίζα (rhíza), “root,” and it later became a favorite word for thinkers describing hidden networks that spread without a single center.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥίζα (rhíza)
“root”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥίζωμα (rhízōma)
“a mass of roots; rootstock”
Late Latin
Latin
rhizoma
“a root-like underground stem”
16th Century
English
rhizome
“a rootstock or underground stem”
Modern English
English
rhizome
“an underground stem that sends out roots and shoots”